All's Fair in Love and Glamour
by MaybeThere'sHope
Summary: Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood have finally taken their romance into the media's public eye. However, all is not champagne and roses. There are a few faces from their past who might want a piece of their success. Sequel to Misery Loves Glamour.
1. Love on Top

**Well, you've waited long enough. Here's the one thing you all want for Christmas, right? One year ago today, I posted the first chapter of Misery Loves Glamour, and this whole crazy journey took off. I'm so glad so many of you are excited to see the next phase in Magnus and Alec's world come to life, and I hope you enjoy the ride. Happy Glamourversary, you guys! Enjoy!**

**To those of you who have been keeping up with Glamour isn't Everything, I posted the last chapter of that today, and it takes place the day before this one. **

**Beta'd by valiantmongoose, who knows I'm only sane sometimes. :)**

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><p><strong>With You in my Head by UNKLE (feat. The Black Angels)<strong>

As Alec sat in a seat somewhere near the middle of the fourth row, listening to the sound of his boyfriend's high A—even though he doesn't know that's what it is—echo off the cavernous walls of the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, he remembered a similar experience in a much smaller, more intimate space, even if it didn't seem like that at the time. The first time he ever heard Magnus sing and play, in his penthouse in Brooklyn, Alec remembered hearing a resounding note echoing off the shiny surfaces surrounding them and thinking he was listening to the voice of a saint. A siren. It was the single most delicately beautiful and wildly passionate thing he'd ever heard. Until, that is, what happened after that. Alec was hoping to repeat that memory sometime soon, also. Preferably sooner rather than later, since he'd been sitting here for nearly two hours now, watching Magnus do sound check and wishing he could just fucking go up there and rip his clothes off already dammit.

His thoughts were deviating now, more than ever, since his languidly sexy boyfriend was currently draped over the piano in the middle of the stage, leaning across it to grab a sheet of paper and unceremoniously subjecting Alec to a house view of his ass. No doubt he was doing it on purpose, and he would pay for it later, Alec thought with a small grin that he tried to suppress.

"So? What do you think?" asked Jordan, who had been sitting with him, observing, for most of the sound check. "It's been killing 'em all across the states. I'm tellin' ya, you're man's a regular fuckin' king of hearts. He's like the lovechild of Prince, Freddie Mercury, and a little Michael, rolled into one. Not to mention a few genes from Bowie. It's ridiculous how much teenage girls drool their souls out while he's up there."

Alec fought of the tiny sting of jealousy at the last statement, telling himself that Magnus would always come home to him, no matter what the teenage girls did. He smiled again.

"It's amazing. And I know he's amazing. I never doubted him." He looked up again to see Magnus nimbly jumping down off the stage and heading towards them. Jordan stood up and met him in the aisle, clapping him on the back.

"Well? How's it feel to finish your first U.S. tour? Of many, I promise," he said, grinning.

"It's not over yet! One more night," Magnus sighed. Alec couldn't help but notice how tired he was, but it was hidden under the surface of giddiness that always accompanied Magnus these days. Sure, he may be completely exhausted, but Alec knew he was happy.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be a hit. I'm off," Jordan said as he walked back down the aisle towards the stage and around to the back door. He waved one last time before the door shut, and then they were alone in the audience. The crew was still putting down tape over some of the wires on stage, but for the most part, it was just the two of them. As soon as the door slammed shut, Magnus jumped into Alec's arms and Alec had to react quickly so he didn't drop him. He sighed into Magnus' mouth as their lips came together, smiling through the kiss.

"I missed you so, so much," Magnus intoned as he slid back down to the floor. "I swear there were times I wanted to just reach through the computer and run my fingers over your face. I couldn't, and it made me want to throw the computer across the room. You should be proud that it survived the entire trip."

"If you destroyed it, we wouldn't have been able to talk, so I'm not really that impressed," Alec laughed, pulling at Magnus' hips to keep him close. His fingers threaded under the hem of Magnus' soft t-shirt, grazing over the thin caramel skin of his hip bones and making his eyes lazily slip shut. Alec rested his cheek against Magnus' shoulder, burying his nose in his collar and smelling the sweet, welcoming scent that was Magnus. His boyfriend. And the entire world knew.

Alec couldn't have predicted the positive response their little stint at Jace's premiere would have garnered. He was sure there'd be at least _some_ naysayers in the media, but the general consensus—given the photos that had surfaced in the past—was that everyone was happy that Alexander Lightwood and Magnus Bane were finally going public with their relationship. Who would have thought the media valued honesty?

It was kind of sad for a little while when he would make appearances in and around LA and on TV when they would ask about his relationship and he'd get all giddy and then remember that Magnus was across the country somewhere. Their timing kind of sucked, since the time where everyone wanted to talk about their being together was also the time that they were apart for business reasons. But no matter the distance, every time an interviewer brought up Magnus' name, Alec would get all smiley and really wouldn't have to say anything for everyone to know they were solid. It was the same with Magnus. When he was in New York a month ago, he did an interview on MTV. When they asked him if he was excited that the tour was almost over, he was astounded.

"Of course not! I love seeing all my fans and how they freak out," he said, laughing. "It's kind of disconcerting when they cry, though." He ducked his head, chuckling.

"Well, what I meant was that you get to go home to LA," the interviewer said.

"Oh! Yeah," Magnus answered, ducking his head again, this time in blushing embarrassment. But he couldn't quit smiling. He didn't tell Alec this, but Camille had given him endless teasing shit about it for days.

"So, want to hit up In-and-Out?" Magnus asked with a smile, knowing that was Alec's favorite place. But Alec was in intense training right now, so he could be set to keep up his strength and agility while they were gone to Europe. They had a month to go before leaving, and he was trying to get in all the extra training time he could get. However, Magnus knew the offer would tempt him at least a little, since there wasn't an In-and-Out in London. That's why he was surprised when Alec turned it down.

"Hmm…" Alec began, nuzzling his nose against the spot right below Magnus' ear. "I think so. Just…not the burger joint." Magnus was confused for a moment before he got it. Then he went from confused to dumbfounded to aroused in about 3.2 seconds. He pulled back his head to look Alec in the eye, trying to discern if he was serious. "Come on, babe. It's been two months," he said with a hopeful look that drove Magnus crazy. Alec must be extremely horny, otherwise he would _never_ suggest such a thing until they'd gotten home. But Magnus wasn't about to pass up this opportunity. His exhibitionist ways won him over every time.

"Two very, very long, cockless months," he agreed. He wondered for a moment, then took Alec's hand. "Come on," he said, tugging him along behind him.

Magnus made his way up to the stage, going around to the side and climbing up the steps. He made it halfway up before turning around and capturing Alec's mouth, almost sending his boyfriend backwards down the steps. Alec caught himself and held on to Magnus by the neck, kissing him back, both of them giggling like a pair of teenagers. Once Magnus let go, he dragged Alec the rest of the steps and onto the stage.

"Please…tell me you're not going to fuck me on the piano…" Alec groaned, half wearily and half aroused at the thought. Magnus actually gave it a thought before relenting to his earlier plan.

"No, I want you all to myself. Someone could walk in at any moment," he intoned into Alec's ear, causing Alec to sigh in anticipation. He dragged the athlete across to the back left corner of the stage, to a door that lead underneath it. He had a dressing room backstage, a large one with a couch and a big rack of all his clothes and a vanity and a table full of random stuff like coffee and Reese's Pieces. But he also had this little painted black space with a smaller table and mirror, where he could touch up his makeup between sets, one or two of his outfits so he could change in a hurry, and his acoustic guitar. It was about 6 feet square, just big enough for him and one other person, which was usually Jordan or his assistant. It was for quick changes and touch-ups, but it was about to get christened to another purpose. The number one perk: it had a lock.

He hauled Alec down through the door, shoving him inside and reaching behind him to turn the lock. Then, he attacked. He slammed Alec against the opposite wall next to the vanity, and devoured his mouth. Alec nearly whined. Jesus, the things Alec's voice did to him. He was almost sure he'd become auto-attuned to all the nuances and changes in his sounds, considering that's all he'd had to go on for the last two months. They'd skype-sexed more times than he could count, and while that was nice and kept them going, it wasn't the real thing. Not by a long shot. Seeing his face and hearing his voice couldn't compare to the feel of Alec's muscled biceps clutching at his shoulders, or his teeth grabbing at Magnus' bottom lip in desperation to get just a little bit closer.

He maneuvered them around and reached under Alec's ass, picking him up and setting him on top of the vanity table. Like they could read each other's minds, they both reached for their own shirts and hauled them over their heads. In the next agonizingly slow and blurrily fast seconds, Alec was off the table with his pants around his knees, and Magnus' pants were pushed down just far enough to allow minimal movement. Alec was leaning over the table, looking in the mirror behind him, and Magnus almost swooned at the raw lust in his eyes. He'd thought their first sexual encounter when he returned would be less rushed, less spontaneous, and less clothed, but he liked it better this way. They weren't kidding themselves. They were desperate for each other at this moment, and they had plenty of time to make love for hours later. They _needed_ each other right now.

Magnus reached into the drawer of the table, and retrieved small bottle of lube. When Alec caught sight of it in the mirror, he raised an eyebrow. Magnus raised his brow in return, daring him to question why it was already there. Magnus wasn't an idiot; he'd been using that move on Alec since day one. He knew every time he cocked his eyebrow particularly high, Alec came undone on the inside. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't going to question it. He used it ruthlessly to his advantage. This time, when he did it, Alec's eyelids slipped lower, and the blue became hooded in pale moonlight colored skin. With two quick movements, he had the cap popped and a generous amount of liquid coated his fingers. He was about to just go for it, but he paused. It _had_ been a while since Alec had been penetrated. Somehow Magnus doubted Alec was as adventurous with sex toys during their time apart as he was.

He decided on starting slow. He circled his slick middle finger around Alec's entrance, gently pressing a little harder with each pass. He watched in the mirror as Alec's face became more and more pained with want. When he started pushing his hips back to meet Magnus' hand, Magnus took pity on him and let his finger slide in smoothly down to the knuckle as Alec clenched around him.

"You okay?" he asked, circling around slowly, gently.

"More," Alec ground out in a raspy voice that took Magnus by surprise. He had been out of practice picking up on Alec's body language. He wasn't nervous, he was trying to keep from slamming himself back onto Magnus' hand. Well, Magnus wasn't about to make him wait anymore. He added two more fingers and began to pump in and out, watching as Alec bit his lip in discomfort for a few seconds, but then let his eyes roll back in his head, his hips keeping time with Magnus' movement.

"Missed this," Alec panted between biting his lip and groaning when Magnus curled his fingers and brushed against his prostate. "So…fucking…much…"

"You wanna keep it here? Or you want more?" Magnus asked, leaning over and pressing his chest to Alec's back, resting his chin on his shoulder and staring at him in the mirror.

"M—m—more," he whined brokenly as his hips thrust back. Magnus let out a moan at the lust in Alec's voice. He removed his fingers gently, trying to keep the stretch he'd gained. He didn't even bother putting more lube on himself, since he'd used so much on his fingers. Alec was good and slick. He positioned himself and pressed against the ring of muscle.

"Ready?" he asked, just to be sure Alec was on a level plane with him.

"Yeah," Alec whispered in anticipation, and Magnus was reassured. He began to push in, and even though he'd just stretched Alec pretty well with his fingers, the walls were tight against him. He couldn't help the moan of Alec's name from escaping his lips in a long, low voice.

"Yesssss," Alec hissed before he went back to biting his lip. When Magnus started to pull out and thrust back in, he let out a little whimper each time Magnus' dick hit home. Every time, he'd push in a little further, brushing up against Alec's prostate with growing force, causing him to let out little mewling sounds of submission each time. Magnus ran his hands up and down Alec's back appreciatively, fingering the corded muscles as they shifted and rolled under the now dewy skin. He pressed his thumbs into the stiffness on either side of Alec's spine, kneading away the tension in his entire back and watching with satisfaction as Alec's whole body relaxed over onto the table and gave over to the sensation of being taken. Magnus wasn't going slow, but he was doing it with purpose; not like he was fucking and running. He always intended to make each time he fucked Alec more memorable than the last. He prayed to every deity he could think of that his dick would be the only one to ever penetrate this glorious body.

As his thrusts became more pointed and forceful, Alec reached a hand back and grabbed Magnus' thighs, pulling him in hard. He lifted his head and Magnus caught those baby blues in the mirror once again, and that was all it took. He shot off into Alec with so much force, his knees started to shake. He kept pounding in until he was sure he'd milked himself for every last drop. Alec hadn't come yet, but Magnus could tell he was teetering on the edge. It was all but confirmed when he pulled out and Alec let out a very childish whine at the loss, like someone had just taken away the one thing that would make him happy in the entire world. But Magnus wasn't finished with him just yet.

He grabbed Alec's hips and turned him around, resting his ass against the corner of the table. Magnus hit his knees and took Alec into his mouth before Alec even knew what was happening. One, two, three quick strokes of his talented hand and throat was all it took before Alec was yelling out his name and yanking at his hair, his hips shaking in Magnus' grip.

"Jesus fuck," Alec panted, running his fingers now lovingly through Magnus' hair, a stark contrast from the force he'd used moments ago. Magnus hated himself for it, but he couldn't fight the sudden thought of someone else that _never_ switched gears like that. He pushed the thought away as soon as it had come. He smiled up at Alec, who pulled him up from under his arms and kissed him hard, running his tongue over Magnus' bottom lip and tasting himself, moaning softly.

"I love you," Magnus intoned into the space between their lips as they moved together.

"I missed you," Alec replied, smiling. He let go, reaching to pull up his jeans and allowing Magnus to retrieve their shirts from the floor. When Alec looked down, Magnus saw his face turn red.

"What?" he asked. Alec just pointed to a spot near their feet where, apparently, Magnus had let a bit of cum go to waste.

"Shouldn't you clean that up?"

Magnus shrugged. "Nah. Leave it. Every time I pass it, I'll think dirty thoughts," he chuckled, and watched with satisfaction as Alec's face grew redder. He placed a long kiss on his boyfriend's lips before ushering them both, now fully clothed, back up onto the stage.

Later that night, after most of the show had gone by and the band was taking a quick break before the encore, Clary turned to Alec and smiled widely and knowingly.

**Song for this section: Love on Top by Beyonce (what Magnus sings for his encore)**

"What's with you?" Alec asked, trying not to be a little bit annoyed. Jace and Clary had come to support Magnus, he told himself. He just couldn't stand it that all Clary did was stare back and forth between Magnus on stage and Alec next to her, smiling more and more each time Alec noticed her doing it.

"Oh, nothing. You two are just the most adorable things I've ever seen in action," she giggled. Alec rolled his eyes, but repressed his comment. He wasn't sure why Clary annoyed him, when interviewers galore had done the same thing. Maybe it was remaining feelings against her from when she and Jace first got together and he didn't have Magnus yet. He knew it was irrational, but he couldn't help it. Old habits. Fortunately, he didn't have to say anything. What else was Jace good for, anyway?

"Oh come on, Clarissa. Give him a break. Quit embarrassing the fuck out of him," he said while simultaneously grabbing her into a hug from behind and placing his chin on her decidedly lower shoulder.

"Thank you," Alec relented.

"Besides, I happen to know for a _fact_ that anything you could do or say won't hold a candle to what he's about to endure," he said with a devious smile. At this, Alec whipped his head around to stare at him. "Don't look at me," Jace went on. "Wasn't my idea. I just happened to overhear things and was sworn to secrecy. I was also sworn to not letting you escape." The smirk on his face made Alec want to punch him. Just then, however, the lights went back down, and he turned his attention back to the stage. His heart fluttered, as it always did, when Magnus walked out, followed by the band. As they started setting up and putting on their instruments again, he lifted the microphone to address the screaming audience.

"Hi again, guys!" He smiled that warm sunshine smile that made all the girls—and a few of the boys—go absolutely weak. "You didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily did you?" His laugh echoed through the room over the screams. Eventually the audience got quiet and let him talk. From his place in the sound booth about fifty rows back, Alec's gaze flicked between the actual Magnus, way down on stage, and the 30 foot version of his upper body, projected on a screen above. He watched as his boyfriend worked the crowd like a pro.

"So, as you guys probably know, I save the end slot of the night for a cover of one of my favorite songs. I've done lots, and I'm sure you've seen at least some of them, since I know you know how to use the internet, yes?" Screams erupted again, and he laughed. Alec followed him as he walked around the stage casually. The band was pretty much ready behind him, but it looked like he was having fun talking to his fans like there was only ten of them in the room and not ten thousand.

"Alright, alright! So yeah, anyway. Tonight's no different, so before I go, I'm gonna do one last song for you guys, that's one of my current favorites." The drummer and bassist started strumming out a vaguely familiar beat behind him. "The thing is, tonight's got something special. If you guys could, I want you all to turn around and look right back there," he said, pointing straight at the sound booth. Alec felt his face got hot. He bit his lip. "If you can't quite see, I've got an extra special guest in the audience along with you guys tonight. So…" The rest of the band started playing along with the intro of the song, the tune becoming a little more recognizable. "I want you guys to do something for me. It would be really, really awesome if I could have all ten thousand or so of you…" he made a sweeping gesture encompassing the entire theater, causing yet another eruption of screams and claps, "…to help me sing a love song to my boyfriend." He smiled, and the place was near deafening. "So, if you know the words, feel free to sing along, yeah?" The band had to play the end of the intro a little louder just to be heard over the crowd. And then, the verse began, and Magnus had the biggest smile on his face.

_Honey, honey, I can see the stars all the way from here_

_Can't you see the glow on the window pane_

_I can feel the sun whenever you're near_

_Every time you touch me I just melt away_

The entire crowd was singing along so loudly Magnus could barely be heard. Next to him, the sound manager chuckled and turned up Magnus' mic so his voice crooned out above all the others. While Alec continued to turn the color of a jar of cherries, Magnus couldn't wipe the radiant smile off his face as he meant every word.

_Now everybody asks me why I'm smilin' out from ear to ear_

_They say love hurts but I know_

_It's gonna take the real work_

_Nothin's perfect but it's worth it after fightin' through my tears_

_And finally you put me first_

Alec couldn't help it; a grin as big as the sky worked its way across his face. He was embarrassed beyond all shadow of a doubt, but he couldn't wash away the giddiness at seeing his amazing lover, up on a stage commanding a crowd of thousands who were all singing a song straight to him. When he got to the chorus, as if it wasn't obvious, Magnus pointed out to Alec again.

_Baby it's you_

_You're the one I love_

_You're the one I need_

_You're the only thing I see_

_Come on baby it's you_

_You're the one who gives your all_

_You're the one I can always call_

_When I need you make everything stop_

_Finally you put my love on top_

Alec was giggling like a schoolgirl by now, watching Magnus smile so wide it looked like it hurt. He turned to Jace who was smirking all-too-knowingly, and Alec made a mental note to punch him later for this. Clary, on the other hand, looked like she was smiling so big she was near tears. Alec had to admit, he knew they were probably jealous. Who wouldn't be? He had the most amazing—albeit embarrassing—boyfriend in the universe.

Alec stared up at his boyfriend's face, magnified about a hundred times. Only he could be that huge and still be gorgeous. He got so enthralled with the oversized version, he forgot to keep an eye on what the real Magnus was doing. He'd started down the steps on the side of the stage, still singing all cute and seductively. _Oh no. No. He's not—he IS. Oh god…_

Alec looked back up at the screen as Magnus made his way down the middle aisle, fans reaching out to brush his hands and arms as he walked by. They adored him, all ten thousand of them. His huge yellow-green eyes weren't looking at the camera, but it followed him where he went. He was looking straight at the sound booth, where Alec stood, embarrassed but smiling like an idiot. Wasn't the song enough? I mean, Magnus didn't have to embarrass the living crap out of him like this, giving him attention in the middle of the fucking Nokia Theater full of people, did he? Regardless, Magnus would never know Alec was having this inner battle, considering he couldn't quit smiling. He tried to shake his head 'no', but he didn't actually think it would deter his boyfriend from making a scene (albeit, a romantic one) in front of thousands of people. Alec knew his face was the color of a red velvet cake, but that just spurred the singer on.

_Baby, baby I can feel the wind whipping past my face_

_As we dance the night away_

_Boy your lips taste like a night of champagne_

_As I kiss you again and again and again and again_

Alec's cheeks hurt from smiling, but he was still shaking his head, doing the cutthroat signal in an attempt to avoid further romantic embarrassment. But Magnus wasn't quitting, and every time he hit those high notes, Alec's stomach fluttered.

_Now everybody asks me why I'm smilin' out from ear to ear_

_They say love hurts but I know_

_It's gonna take the real work_

_Nothin's perfect but it's worth it after fightin' through my tears_

_And finally you put me first_

He reached the steps into the sound booth just as he got to the chorus. All the audience's eyes were on him, watching as he serenaded Alec shamelessly. He started climbing up the steps.

_Baby it's you, _

_You're the one I love_

_You're the one I need_

_You're the only one I see_

_Come on baby it's you_

_You're the one that gives your all_

_You're the one I can always call_

_When I need you make everything stop_

_Finally you put my love on top_

The crowd continued singing the backup along with the band, but Magnus had made it up the steps and Alec couldn't do anything else but smile at him and look him in the eyes without blinking. He wasn't sure Magnus was entirely real, or if this was some ridiculous romantic dream. He was pretty sure he wouldn't willingly humiliate himself, though, even in sleep. This had to actually be happening. During the instrumental break, the crowd still singing along, Alec felt a shove from a decidedly strong hand. Jace had pushed him straight into Magnus' arms, and without even thinking, he crushed their lips together. If the place was loud before, it was downright deafening now. The entire crowd was cheering and smiling and catcalling, but Alec and Magnus were stuck in their own little world for the 30 seconds their lips were connected. Little did they know, the camera had followed them and their kiss was magnified on the huge screen above the stage, but they didn't care.

Just before the chorus picked back up for the last bit of the song, Alec let Magnus go. Magnus looked for all the world like his soul was soaring. The look on his face was beautiful and priceless. Alec was surprised himself when he saw that Magnus was still capable of lifting the microphone and singing. He left a quick peck on Alec's temple and turned to go back down the steps and through the crowd back to the stage. He repeated the chorus, singing along with the crowd until he climbed back up on the stage. At the key change in the next repeat, he did a very playful, very _Magnus_ thing: In one swift movement he slid up on top of the piano in the middle of the stage, and started dancing around on top of the closed lid while he sang. Again, cheers erupted along with the drowning words of the song. Alec could tell Magnus was just intoxicated by the whole thing, and for a fleeting moment he let himself wonder what would have happened, had he never encouraged Magnus to pull the cover off the keys of his old white Vanderbilt grand, way back then in his Brooklyn penthouse. The thought made Alec abruptly thankful that he did.

The song ended, and he caught Magnus jumping down off the piano just as the lights winked out, and all hearing was lost. Magnus Bane's first U.S. tour had been a riotous success.

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><p><strong>So, how do you like it so far? Be sure to let me know! I'm going to try my hardest to update this story at least once a week, probably every Wednesday or something like that. I have yet to actually pick a day, but we'll see. I'd love to know what you guys think, so as always, leave a review! :)<strong>


	2. I Should Make You Wait More Often

**Well, here you are. Chapter 2. I hope you enjoy it! I'm going to try for updating every Wednesday from now on. **

**Beta'd by valiantmongoose, as always. :) Desk Chair Sex is for her. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is by Jet<strong>

Alec paid the cabbie for the ride to the tire shop and slid out of the cracked leather seat. It was sort of odd, taking cabs in LA, but it was necessary this time. He walked up, opening the door for a teenage girl who was hard at work on what seemed to be a very important text message. She paid him no mind. After all, this was LA; he wasn't a commodity. One of the Orange County Housewives was sitting in the lobby; he wasn't sure which one, but she looked familiar from times Magnus had made him watch the show.

Alec waited in line behind a man with in a blue Prada blazer and an unlit cigarillo hanging out of his mouth. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. If there was such a thing as a high class Discount Tire Shop, this was it. Magnus had brought his car in to get the tires rotated earlier today, and it was overcrowded so he'd just asked Alec to pick it up later, since he had to head across town to do a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest. Alec wasn't sure why he would do such a thing, considering the bastard was responsible for them almost breaking up for good, but Alec had long given up trying to figure out why Magnus did anything. He loved him, and that was all that mattered.

When it was his turn, he stepped up to the desk. "I'm here to pick up a white Bentley?" he told the clerk. The man behind the counter didn't look at him, just typed a couple of things into his computer before glancing up with a bored expression.

"Magnus Bane?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. I think it's already paid for," Alec said. He watched as the man's lips curled up in a sneer, but he didn't say anything. He went through a door to an office behind him, grabbing the keys. He handed them to Alec in such a way as to pointedly try not to brush hands with him. Alec knitted his eyebrows, but still said nothing. It wasn't until he heard the next statement that he felt heat creep up his neck. "How sweet, the little wife is out running errands for hubby," the man mumbled under his breath, his sneer getting deeper as he let out an annoyed sigh and looked down his nose at Alec.

Alec gritted his teeth hard. He knew his mom probably wouldn't appreciate having to explain why her son had punched a desk clerk at a tire shop, so he tried to keep his anger under control. The man no doubt knew who he was; he and Magnus had been all over the tabloids and television since Magnus had come home a week ago. Their entire day was usually documented in the rags, from going to get coffee and bagels to Magnus picking Alec up from practice to get burgers and whatever else they'd done in their little mundane lives that constituted media fodder. America's favorite gay couple they weren't—a place that was still stronghold occupied by NPH and David—but it couldn't be denied that the paparazzi were enamored with them. Plus, they were finally getting 'couple' pictures since Magnus' tour had ended. It was somewhat understandable. But just because he and Magnus were in the public eye a lot and people loved them didn't mean there weren't people who resented them and thought their relationship was either pointless—at best—or an abomination—at worst. He tried to see the bigger picture: there were always going to be homophobes, and they could deal.

His anger was still fizzing when he walked out and slid into the driver's seat of Magnus' white Bentley Continental GT convertible. He started it up and immediately put the top down. The smog-filled LA wind whipping his face usually did the trick to get his mind off things. He peeled out of the parking lot for good measure, leaving two nice black marks in their immaculately poured white concrete. He sped off towards the PCH, choosing to take the long way back home. He absolutely adored his own car, and no one came above her, but she wasn't a convertible. He turned on the radio, hoping to catch a bit of Magnus' interview. Sure enough, he heard his boyfriend's infectious laugh burst through the speakers and he couldn't help but smile as he listened.

"Sure I'm exhausted! But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna be out and about with my boyfriend every chance I get. If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly a homebody."

Ryan laughed. "Oh, I've noticed. You're everywhere these days, in pictures and in the flesh. Do you ever get tired of it all? Wish you could go back to New York in relative anonymity? You had a nightclub there, also, right?"

"I prefer to call it a lounge. It keeps the essence of the ambience instead of the whole sweaty techno vibe," Magnus chuckled. "But no. I wouldn't give up what I have now for anything. It's too much fun getting to travel the world and meet everyone who's crazy enough to know all the words to my songs and scream them back at me. I know everyone says that, but it's really humbling to see how I've touched so many people with words that are so relevant to my _own_ life. I mean, each one of those songs was written from a specific place in my heart, pertaining to a specific event or person in my life."

"Speaking of special people…"

"Ahh I know where this is going," Magnus laughed. Alec could almost hear his eyes sparkling. He blushed, even though no one was around him.

"Tell us about your relationship with Galaxy star Alexander Lightwood. I mean, it wasn't much of a secret about yourself, but he made kind of a splash coming out officially. You guys attended his brother's premiere back in the spring, and that's when the world _really_ got a look at you two."

"Yeah. I mean, it's totally understandable. He's an athlete, he was afraid of what people would think, but really it just came down to being honest with himself. He's a beautiful soul, and it's only fair that he share that with the rest of the world. It was hard enough keeping it in all this time." Alec blushed harder. When Magnus talked about him like that, he didn't feel worthy. He didn't feel like he was all that great, but somehow, when Magnus said it, he held all the confidence in the world.

"You don't want to keep him all to yourself?" Ryan asked playfully.

"Of course I do! But that wouldn't be fair, I guess. Although right now, it would be nice since I haven't gotten to see him all summer."

"Yes, yes! But it was for good reason right? You're tour was a tremendous success!"

"Yeah, it was a ton of fun, too. I had a great time."

"And you mentioned you liked traveling around. You're set to go on the European leg of the tour in just over a month, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I leave in about a month and we'll be in the UK most of the time, but there will be dates on the continent also, in Germany and Russia and places like that."

"And I'm sure people can sort of tell from your slight accent, but you're originally from England right?"

"Right. Yeah, I was raised in London. My mother was American though, so when I learned to speak it was some kind of mix of American English and London English," Magnus said with a chuckle. It took knowing him that well, but Alec could tell his voice went a little on edge when he talked about his mom. He prayed Ryan wouldn't ask more about Magnus' parents. He didn't.

"How long have you been in America?"

"Oh since I started university. I went to Florida State until I was 21 but didn't finish. I was too eager to stick around, I guess," he lied smoothly. "After that I moved to New York with my inheritance and started Cherry Bomb. It's been a wild ride."

"You excited to get back to the old haunts? Playing anywhere sentimental to you?"

"Not on the actual tour, no. I might hit up some old hangouts, though," he said with a laugh. "We'll see."

"I hope you have fun," Ryan said.

"Thanks! I'll try my best."

"Well thank you to Magnus Bane for coming in today, everyone!"

"My pleasure, it was fun."

"You can buy his album, Blue, it's out right now. Though if you don't own it already you've been living under a rock," Ryan laughed. "Best of luck with the European tour and we'll get you back in here when you get back to the states so we can gush about it, yeah?"

"Sure," and Alec could hear the smile in Magnus' voice, "sounds like a plan."

"Thanks again to Magnus Bane and here's Jet with 'Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is'. I'm Ryan Seacrest and this is KIIS FM!"

The music started and Alec turned up the volume full blast, the wind whipping his hair against his face as he blew by the Pacific Ocean and back to his apartment. He and Magnus still kept separate apartments; they'd decided that Alec would move into Magnus' place when they returned from Europe, since it was the bigger of the two. Really, Alec spent more time there than he did in his own apartment. Half his stuff was over there anyway, and he slept over there at least four days out of the week. The only times he didn't was when he was particularly exhausted from practice, as his apartment was closer to Carson and he would stop there and pass out in bed, only to get up in the middle of the night and go to Magnus' anyway. In the last week, he'd become so attached, he couldn't really sleep soundly if he wasn't in Magnus' arms. It was quite pathetic, really, but he didn't give a shit. And now they were headed off to Europe; to London, in particular, where Magnus had grown up. He was going to see all the places Magnus used to hang out, all the things he used to do. He couldn't wait to see the life that had shaped Magnus. For the most part, Magnus' past was a mystery to Alec, and he was anxious to have some of the fog lifted.

He pulled into his building's garage, parking the Bentley in his usual space, as Magnus had taken Alec's Aston Martin to the radio station. His publicist really wanted Magnus to be driven there by a professional, but Magnus had refused. He wasn't an invalid, he said, and he wasn't about to start demanding a driver just to go across town and back. This was one of the things Alec really liked about Magnus. He was filthy rich, but still seemed so grounded. Alec had been brought up with money, and it didn't seem like that big of a deal most of the time, but Magnus had grown up with a pretty middle-class income. However, having millions of dollars dropped in his lap didn't seem to change him. He was just as down-to-earth as ever. Sometimes it didn't fit with his vibrant personality, but that was the beauty of Magnus: he was an amazing contradiction.

He got to his floor, shouldered his door open and slammed it shut, heaving a sigh. Hearing Magnus on the radio made him happy, but he was still a little peeved about the guy at the tire shop. He knew there were still ignorant people in the world—after all, that was why he was afraid to come out in the first place—but it still stung to have it thrust in his face like that. He didn't have long to contemplate his anger, though, because there was a knock at his door.

He opened it to see a face he'd seen a couple of times over the summer, but it never failed to unnerve him. Amy Weston stood at his door, Starbucks soy latte in hand, smile on her face.

"Hey Amy. What's up?" he asked, standing in the doorway to bar her passage inside. He wasn't in the mood to chat about old high school times right now.

"I was in the neighborhood. Saw you pull into the garage," she said cheerfully.

"But I was in Magnus' car…" he said, confused.

"The top was down, silly. So you gonna let me in?" she asked innocently. Alec, never really being one for rudeness, grudgingly stepped aside. They sat on the couch, as they'd done the few times before, on opposite ends. She sipped her latte for a few moments. "So, what's new?"

"Uh…not much. We lost in Texas last week," he said, hoping to keep the conversation on something they both enjoyed: soccer. And not on him. She seemed to always want to talk about him.

"Yeah, I saw that. Bummer. But more exciting stuff! I heard you're going to Europe with Magnus! That'll be fun," she said, her face beaming. He always had this inkling that she was pushing the smile too hard when she talked to him, but he'd never been good at judging things like that. Now he was more preoccupied with the fact that she'd shifted the conversation—none to subtly—to him.

"Yeah. Can't wait."

"That's so cool. He can show you all the places he grew up and stuff. It'll be fun!" she said, smiling. She took another sip of her latte and Alec relaxed a little. She sighed before continuing nostalgically, "I wish we could go back and visit all our favorite places from high school, don't you?"

Oh no. This wasn't good territory.

"I don't know. High school kind of sucked for me, actually. No need to relive it." Then, he stopped short, realizing what he'd said. She looked a little hurt, and he couldn't help blaming himself. He tried to backtrack. "I mean, hanging with you was cool and everything. That part didn't suck," he said.

She just smiled and let out a little laugh. "We were a cool pair back then. You were so adorable. You still kind of are."

"Ha. Thanks, I guess," he replied.

"No, really! That's a compliment. Don't worry, I'm not trying to jump your bones or anything, if that's what you're afraid of, Alec." He blushed, but tried to feel reassured.

He didn't.

"You know, you still kind of remind me of your teenage self. Your eyes are still innocent, you still blush at the drop of a hat. You're also no less naïve, and no less trusting, when you shouldn't be at all." That statement brought Alec up short. She'd gone from bubbly and gushing to serious by the end of her speech, and he was abruptly a little defensive.

"There's where you're wrong," Alec countered, getting a little irritated. "I don't trust anyone these days." It was mostly true. Being outed last year really did a number on who he chose to trust. Fame did that to you, but he'd never thought it would affect him really, like it did the rest of his family. He'd always stayed under the radar for the most part. But now…now he was almost the center of attention in the Lightwood clan. He had to tread carefully.

"You trust your chart-topping new man-candy, don't you?" For someone usually so carefree, when she spoke about Magnus, Alec noticed her voice got an edge. "He's pretty, I'll give you that. You deserve each other. But watch out…some people might not feel the same way I do, and they might take advantage. Are you sure Magnus is on the same page as you, when it comes to your relationship?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alec asked, confused. But Amy never got to answer, because the boyfriend in question came through the door, dropping his keys with a clatter against the little table next to the door.

"Hey babe…uh, hi there," he said, taking in Amy sitting across the couch from Alec.

"Uh, Magnus, this is Amy. An old friend of mine from high school. We played soccer together," Alec said, standing and walking over to Magnus. For some reason, standing near him was calming. This situation had the potential to go wrong in a flash. Of course, Amy didn't know that Magnus knew about hers and Alec's past.

"Hi," Magnus said, putting out a hand. She took it, shaking for a couple of seconds before letting go. She turned to grab her latte off the coffee table.

"Well, I'd better be going then," she said. "It was good to meet you, Magnus. Congratulations on everything."

"Thanks. Nice meeting you, Amy," Magnus answered. Amy made her way through the door, but turned at the last minute.

"Good talk, Alec. See you around." And then she was gone. Magnus shut the door and turned to Alec.

"Was that _the_ Amy? The…devirginized beard Amy?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alec sighed deeply. "Yes. She's come over like that a couple of times this summer. She always shows up randomly and wants to talk about how awesome yours and my relationship is and how cute we are together or whatever."

"I thought she was from New York? When did she move here?" Magnus asked as he dragged Alec back to the couch and plopped them down. He proceeded to put his feet in Alec's lap and Alec began massaging them without even thinking.

"Not sure. I mean, she first visited me like two weeks after you left. It's always short conversations. I think she probably just wants to talk to someone familiar who knows LA, you know? Since she probably just moved here this summer."

"Mmmm. Probably," Magnus mumbled, not really paying attention, falling asleep from his feet being rubbed. Alec chuckled and lay down beside him, cramping them together on the couch. Magnus whined because Alec wasn't massaging his feet anymore, but Alec silenced it with his lips.

**Song for this section: Sheisse by Lady Gaga**

Magnus had made the rounds in Lucky 13 about four times. He'd gotten 'Welcome back!' and 'The tour was great!' about six or seven times each, from people that either mattered to him a lot—like Roisin Murphy—as well as from those who were irrelevant—like Kim Kardashian. He took the well wishes with a smile, though, because he did feel accomplished. He'd come extremely far in the past year, and he was preening. The club was packed, and he was proud. He'd gone back behind the bar to compliment the girls on their amazing job keeping things together in his absence. Having been seen by pretty much everyone and taking all the compliments in stride, he made his way upstairs to sign the four code forms that the fire department was requiring from him. Despite the line around the corner, he was still letting too many people in at a time, they said. He laughed to himself. Did anyone really follow these things? There might be 10 more than the max, but that wasn't that big a deal, he thought.

He trudged up the last few steps to his office door, opened it and stepped in. He turned around to lock it before making his way towards his desk. However, when he turned toward that side of the room, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus fuck, you scared me," he said, breathing little hard.

Alec chuckled from his place sitting in the chair behind the desk with a mischievous grin. "Sorry. Didn't mean to. I just missed you, I guess."

"Bullshit. I told you I wouldn't fuck you until I got home, and you got impatient," Magnus quipped with a smirk.

"You caught me," Alec replied. "You've been gone for like 4 hours!" he complained.

"As I said…_impatient_."

"Come here," Alec entreated, crooking his finger and beckoning Magnus across the room. Shucking his shoes and leather jacket, Magnus padded over to him, behind the desk. He stood, looking down at Alec in his adorable dishevelment. His hair was mussed—he'd been taking a nap, no doubt—and he was in jeans, a dark blue t-shirt, and Doc Martin's. Alec had a way of looking unbearably sexy when he didn't give a shit what he looked like, which was a lot of the time. He didn't have the fashionable Lightwood gene, but it was just as well.

Magnus leaned down to place a long, slow, open-mouthed kiss on Alec's lips, causing them both to moan softly. When it was over, Alec looked up at him through his lashes. "Come down here," he said. Magnus leaned over again, but Alec shook his head. "On your knees." His voice was a little harder, and Magnus' dick twitched involuntarily. He dropped to his knees beside Alec, who remained seated in his desk chair. "Under there," Alec commanded, jerking his head toward the desk.

Magnus' eyes widened a bit before complying. He crawled underneath the desk with a huge smile on his face. "Now get to work," Alec said simply. Magnus didn't have to be told twice. From his cramped space, he pulled the chair in, putting Alec's legs underneath the desk. He hastily undid the button on Alec's jeans, shoving them and his boxers down to discover Alec was already hard. He wet his lips and let them trace up and down the shaft a few times, reveling in Alec's soft sighs of pleasure before opening up and taking Alec down halfway.

"Magnus," he moaned. That always made Magnus suck harder without even realizing it. He hollowed out his cheeks, bobbing his head beneath the desk, trying not to knock himself out by coming up too fast. He lifted off for a second, letting go with a wet pop.

"You know, _I'm _the one who's supposed to have a secret blowjob slave under _my_ desk," he intoned. Alec snaked a hand into his gelled hair, turning his face up to look at him.

"Do you want to stop?" he asked, his voice a little breathy.

"Of course not," Magnus replied before slipping down over Alec's cock again. Alec's hand stayed in his hair, guiding him. He couldn't explain it, but that hand on the back of his head while he sucked Alec off was one of the most erotic feelings ever. It had taken Alec a while, when they first got together, to give in to the urge to actually _show_ Magnus what he wanted. When he finally did, it was more pleasurable for both of them. Magnus continued to swallow and suck around Alec's cock, working his tongue on the underside of the head when he came up, taking him to the back of his throat in the next minute. Alec was thrusting lightly into his throat, making then both moan and cry out. Alec tasted so fucking good. Magnus could suck Alec's dick for days and never get bored. He'd missed this almost the most while he was gone.

"Magnus," Alec panted. "Wait, stop." He was pulling at Magnus' hair, pulling him off his cock with a shaking hand. Magnus looked up.

"What is it?"

"Come back up here, please," Alec said, still breathy. Magnus could tell he was near the edge. They'd done nothing but fuck in the week since he'd gotten home, and Magnus was surprised Alec hadn't built up more stamina than that. Or maybe, Magnus was just that good. He preferred the latter. He remained between Alec's legs, snaking his way up from under the desk, crushing their mouths together when he was standing again. Alec sat up straight, his hands going to Magnus' belt, undoing it and the button on his jeans, pushing them down. Magnus had already lost his shoes, so he kicked off his jeans with ease. He picked up Alec's feet one by one and pulled his jeans off, throwing them over to join his own. Alec kept his t-shirt on, and Magnus kept his turquoise tank top. Alec held his arms open. "Come on," he beckoned, sitting back against the back of the chair.

Magnus complied, putting first one leg through one arm of the chair, then the other, straddling Alec's seated form. Alec's cock was still glistening wet, so Magnus reached back, lining it up with his entrance. He watched Alec's face as he sank down slowly. Alec was biting his lip, watching the space between them as his cock disappeared into Magnus. They both let out a groan as Magnus settled into Alec's lap. He leaned down to kiss Alec again, their tongues tangling together. Alec leaned up, pressing their chests together, wrapping his arms around Magnus' torso and squeezing tightly. Magnus didn't really ride him, but simply rolled his hips in circles, reveling in the feeling of being completely filled up. Sure, they'd fuck a lot in the past week, but it never got old. Fucking Alec would never, ever get old. It was way too good.

Alec thrust up as much as he could, but really they just stayed connected at every surface, Alec's arms around Magnus and Magnus' arms around Alec's neck. Their lips slid across each other, their tongues slipping in and out. There were times the kissing got sloppy, going to corners of mouths or chins, but they never stopped kissing. Gradually, Magnus began to lift his hips a bit before sinking back down, but he still stayed as close to Alec as possible. He moved slow, relishing every inch of Alec inside him. His own cock was trapped between them, rubbing against the material of Alec's t-shirt on one side, and his tank top on the other. His eyebrows were knit together with concentration, his eyes clenched shut. Sensation was everywhere.

He ground himself into Alec, and Alec thrust up to meet him. Alec's hands were working up and down his back, occasionally scratching when Magnus rolled his hips a certain way, but usually just grabbing, _possessing_. His hands went to Magnus' shoulders, pulling him down each time he lifted off Alec's cock. Their moans and sighs and cries of pleasure were muffled by each other's lips, still connected. Magnus started to move a little faster, feeling himself teetering closer to the edge. He felt the muscles in Alec's abs tremble with effort of holding back. Magnus' hands were tangled in Alec's hair, holding their mouths together, whining and whimpering into each other's throats.

Magnus lifted up one last time, and sank down with a twist of his hips, and Alec let go with a low, loud groan. Magnus felt him shoot off inside him, and it made him shudder in pleasure. He loved the feeling of being marked like that by Alec, having a part of him inside.

Magnus still hadn't come yet, and Alec moved his hands down to grip his ass, pulling out and lifting Magnus as he stood up. He placed him over the desk, and Magnus kept his legs around Alec even as he leaned over to take Magnus into his mouth. Magnus let out a long, low cry at the hot tightness of Alec's throat, putting his legs over Alec's shoulders. Alec wasted no time, bobbing his head with fervor, and it took less than three minutes before Magnus cried out his name and shot off down his throat, collapsing back against the desk and watching as Alec leaned up and wiped his mouth with a smirk.

Magnus chuckled as he tried to get his breathing under control, coming down from the high. "I should make you wait more often," he said. Alec answered with a pointed slap on Magnus' ass, making him jump and laugh at the same time.

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><p><strong>Well, what did you guys think? Be sure to leave a review and tell me your thoughts, as always. I really do love hearing what you guys have to say, honestly. Love you all! See you next week!<strong>


	3. Love Turns the Whole Thing Around

**Hey there, all! As promised, it's Wednesday, and here's your chapter! This one is a bit short, however I strive for quality and not quantity. To make up for it, though, there's a small flashback (and those who have kept up with the glamourverse blog will know who it refers to!) and I will do my best to update again before the week is out, because I'm going to be driving back to school on Monday and I might not be up to updating next Wednesday. However, if I do feel up to it, I'll still update even if I do another one this week. I hope you guys had an amazing New Year's, and enjoy!**

**Not beta'd because I wasn't fast enough, lol. But Sarah will be back in business soon. All mistakes are my own for now. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: I Want You by Savage Garden (because they're watching Magnus' guilty pleasure…remember it?)<strong>

"How many more of these are we going to watch today?" Alec asked, a twinge of annoyance creeping into his voice.

"We have to make it through at least the first two seasons," Magnus replied cheerfully, popping in the next DVD and nearly skipping back over to the couch. He resumed his place next to Alec, leaning into him when Alec grudgingly replaced his arm around Magnus' shoulders.

Alec tilted his head to stare down at Magnus as he pressed play on the remote. "Are you serious? You've already seen them all about ten times. You must have them memorized by now."

"Oh shut up. I don't begrudge you about your Supernatural addiction, do I? I think I've sat through all _those_ DVDs a gazillion times," Magnus countered, looking up with an eyebrow raised.

"That's because you don't mind sitting through hours of Jared Padalecki's monstrous biceps."

"This is true," Magnus complied. "But don't act like you don't have it in for Joshua Jackson. Not to mention Kerr Smith. I see your goo-goo eyes whenever Jack is on the screen," he jibed. Alec shoved him a little.

"I do _not_ make goo-goo eyes for Kerr Smith." Magnus gave him another look, and he relented, "Okay, fine. He's hot. But can we at least watch the ones _after_ they randomly decided to make Jack gay? Those are so much better than the ones where he's chasing after Joey," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"I do agree with you there. It's funny, everyone thinks it's Glee who takes the cake on not giving a fuck about continuity. Little do they know, it's just _now_ that the actual viewers started giving a fuck and noticing. Every show does it, at least every one that I've seen."

"Supernatural doesn't," Alec countered.

"Oh, I forgot. Supernatural can do no wrong, according to Mr. Lightwood," Magnus retorted playfully. Alec just smiled to himself. He wasn't really trying to argue as much as keep the conversation going long enough to drown out the god-awful theme song he'd heard 17 times so far today. Thankfully, it was over and the actual episode started.

They watched in relative silence, until Joey snuffed Dawson for the millionth time—as far as Alec was concerned—and Magnus started yelling at the TV. Alec just chuckled to himself, but this only made Magnus angrier, which only made it harder for Alec to hold back his smirk, which made Magnus simply shut his mouth and pout. It was a cycle. When the episode was over, Magnus finally clicked the TV off and turned to place a kiss on Alec's lips.

"Oh, now you notice I'm in the room?" he said playfully as they pulled apart.

"Only for a second, it seems," Magnus answered. "It's almost five, and I still need to shower and get pretty, love." Alec sighed to himself. The record company had gotten them a couple of tickets to John Mayer's show at the White Bar. He was one of Magnus' heroes, and lord knew how long it would take Magnus to deem himself presentable for such an occasion. Also, Alec was starting to rethink the 'let's not move in until after Europe' idea as Magnus stood and grabbed their soda cans from the coffee table, going to the kitchen to throw them away. When he returned, Alec walked him to the door, getting a small peck on the lips as Magnus opened the door to leave. When Magnus tried to turn away to go into the hallway, Alec caught him by the belt loops and tugged him back, planting his lips firmly against Magnus', causing him to smile into the kiss.

"I love you," he intoned into the space between them.

"This is weirdly reminiscent of another time we were here, in this doorway, kissing and saying I love you," Magnus said softly. "You aren't going to run for the hills again if it gets printed in Us Weekly, are you?"

"I love you," Alec repeated, kissing him again. "And nothing could make me run for the hills now. Unless you wanted to go camping or something, that is. Then, running for the hills would be the logical thing."

Magnus shook his head with a small laugh. "Where have you been all my life?" he said, running a hand down Alec's cheek. Alec was still holding tight to his pants, pinning him there.

"In a cupboard under some stairs," he quipped without missing a beat.

Magnus only stared at him, bewildered.

"Sorry. I spent a lot of time alone before we met; watched a lot of youtube. Starkid stuff was mostly my favorite, although Annoying Orange wasn't half bad either."

Magnus just continued to stare, before breaking out in giggles. With that, he placed another kiss on Alec's cheek, and Alec let go, letting him go down the hall to the elevator. After he pushed the button, Magnus turned back and blew Alec a kiss, to which Alec blushed, rolled his eyes, and shut the door.

**Song for this section: Heart of Life-live version by John Mayer (the song they play together)**

The show was pretty amazing. Of course, Magnus thought, it had to be. It was John fucking Mayer for crying out loud. The man was a modern day god. His music had gotten Magnus through some pretty shitty times, too, and it was rather a travesty that he'd never seen him play live. He was doing one of his favorites right now, 'Good Love is On the Way'. Sometimes he listened to that one and could only think of his life just before he met Alec. In fact, lyrics to most John Mayer songs always made him think of his life with Alec, including his all-time favorite, which John had yet to play tonight. If he didn't, Magnus planned to stand and make the request. The song ended, and the room erupted in applause once again, as they had for most of the night. The show was completely acoustic, the best kind. The place was on the small side—it was the same bar Magnus played his first paid show at when he got signed—and it was intimate and casual.

"Thanks, guys. I think we've taken up enough of your night, now," John said into the mic with a smile. The crowd booed a bit, asking him to stay for 'just one more!'. "Alright, alright," he conceded. "Okay, uh, well…let's see." He stalled a bit, picking up a different guitar and tuning it as he looked out into the crowd, pretending to squint, but he looked straight at Magnus and Alec, who were sitting toward the middle at a small table. Magnus just smiled at him, glad to be acknowledged even so minimally. He couldn't have imagined the next words to come out of John Mayer's mouth.

"Alright well, as I'm sure most of you have noticed, we have a special guest in the crowd. One of my favorite new artists on the scene. This guy's amazing I tell ya," he said into the mic in his usual semi-shy, reserved voice, gesturing to Magnus and Alec. Magnus vaguely felt Alec squeeze his thigh under the table. "I hope you didn't think you were going to come to _my_ show and not get up here and sing with me at least once," he said with a smile. The crowd erupted in encouraging cheers. Apparently, they weren't all just John Mayer fans. Magnus, still seated, felt like he was dreaming. He smiled a little bashfully, and shook his head. It was too good to be true. John persisted, as did the crowd. "Come on, man. It would be an honor," he said.

"Well, go on," Alec prodded with a smile, nearly pushing Magnus out of his chair.

"No, no, that's okay," Magnus said, trying to remain seated. He wasn't sure if he could actually sing with John Mayer. He'd get up there and get starstruck and nothing would come out, probably.

"Come on, Magnus. Go sing us something," Alec said, elbowing him in the side gently. Abruptly, Magnus was assaulted with a memory.

_"Come on. Sing me something, beautiful."_

_ Magnus sat stolid, arms crossed, frown still in place and trying to ignore him. He felt the hand caress his cheek, as it sometimes did in public when he was particularly proud of Magnus' behavior. Magnus' eyes closed against the tenderness of the gesture, so unlike when they were alone. Still, the call of the stage, of a performance, was stronger than any will Magnus had to be stubborn. He always lost himself in the music, in the feeling of the journey through the verses; maybe this time it would help him forget the pain he felt in his heart at the picture that was burned into his mind of his lover's arms wrapped around another. _

_ He ignored the smile of victory from the man next to him as he stood with a huff, making is way up to the stage. Kel, the owner, who always loved hearing Magnus perform, gave him a small smile from behind the bar. Magnus knew Kel could probably sense his anger. He came here sometimes on his own, when the stress got too overwhelming, and the owner let him play to his heart's content since it usually garnered healthy tips from his other customers. Most of the regulars knew the young schoolboy, and they looked forward to hearing him play whenever the fancy struck him. It was never boring, since Magnus never simply played and sang; he melted pieces of himself into the performance every time, and sometimes it got so raw that Kel had to excuse himself under the pretense of grabbing another case of ale from the back just so he had a moment to wipe his misty eyes. _

_ Magnus sat at the wobbly bench, wasting no time. He gave one last look to the table he'd left, with its single occupant now, and began to play a haunting version of Unchained Melody. He chose his serenade carefully, and he hoped the message came across. Even when he was this hurt and angry, the thought of losing this man he'd come to love was something he didn't even want to imagine. The song was a plea, a begging for him to see that Magnus was the better choice, when the truth was, Magnus felt like he was nothing without him. _

Magnus shook his head to clear the memory. He stood, giving Alec a warm smile as the crowd cheered, getting their wish. It was a sight to behold, John Mayer and Magnus Bane taking the stage together. A spontaneous thing that all of them would remember forever. Sure, they weren't Mick Jagger and Robert Plant, but of this day and age, they were two of the best and most talented, and to see them together was a privilege.

He approached the stage, climbing up the steps and taking the offered stool someone had brought out for him. John leaned over and grabbed one of the three guitars on stands behind him, handing it to Magnus. As Magnus began to tune it, John said, "So, you name it. Whatever you want. Just make sure it's something I know." Magnus laughed as he adjusted the guitar on his knees.

"Well, they came to hear you," he said, gesturing to the crowd, which let out a couple of hoots at that. "And my all-time favorite song is one of yours, so it seems fitting, I guess?"

John smiled. "I should be so honored," he joked. He gestured to Magnus when he was ready. "Go ahead, I'll jump in, I guess. Let's hope I know it," he said, and the crowd laughed along with both of them. Magnus obliged, and began to play the opening strums to Heart of Life, and the crowd immediately caught on and cheered. John smiled, and waited a few bars before coming in with the harmony on his own guitar. Magnus gestured to him to take up the first verse.

_I hate to see you cry_

_Lying there in that position_

_There's things you need to hear_

_So turn off your tears and listen_

_Pain throws your heart to the ground_

_Love turns the whole thing around_

_No, it won't all go away_

_It should_

_But I know the heart of life is good_

Magnus was nearly beaming. This was something to cross off his bucket list. He played smoothly, despite his fears of completely clamming up from being next to such a legend. However, that confidence might fall with the fact that he'd picked to sing the second verse. He looked over the crowd to Alec, who was staring right at him with a huge smile on his face, and the fear melted away. He felt his heart contract, and everyone else in the room disappeared. He thought about where he was before he met and fell in love with Alec Lightwood. How lost he was. How inwardly depressed, despite his party-loving exterior. He would have never sung another note if not for Alec. So he sang this verse for him, smiling through the mist in his eyes.

_You know it's nothing new_

_Bad news never had good timing_

_But then, the circle of your friends_

_Will defend the silver lining_

_Pain throws your heart to the ground_

And here, he nearly let the tears fall, because no words ever rang so true, but he was still smiling.

_But love turns the whole thing around_

Alec smiled even bigger.

_No, it won't all go away_

_It should_

_But I know the heart of life is good_

They continued to play, making beautiful ad libs to the original melody. The whole crowd was swaying with the music, and Magnus couldn't stop smiling. Living his dream, indeed.

_Pain throws your heart to the ground_

_Love turns the whole thing around_

_Fear is a friend that you misunderstood_

_But I know the heart of my life is good_

_Of your life is good_

The song wound to a close, and the crowd erupted in cheers as John took a little bow and gestured to Magnus. He smiled and waved to the crowd, dipping his head a bit. He set the guitar down on a stand, and shook John Mayer's hand. Yeah, this was definitely one to cross off the bucket list. He kept wondering when the good would stop, when all the fun he was having would be ripped away from him. However, he was starting to think that maybe this was payback for the shit he'd been dealt in his earlier years. He'd been through a lot, and maybe this was the universe giving him what he deserved, now that he'd taken initiative to go after it. Whatever the reason, and however long the ride lasted, he was going to milk it for all it was worth. In two more weeks, he and Alec were on their way to Europe, a tour he was sort of dreading at times when he thought about the bad memories it could trigger, but he never let it bother him. There were too many more he intended on making with Alec to let the bad ones creep in. That life was behind him. He was done being a doormat, a plaything, a piece of property. Alec treated him like a king, and that was how it was going to be now. He hoped that was how it was going to be for the rest of his life.

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><p><strong>As I said, short, but provides some valuable information, perhaps...hehe we'll see. <strong>

**ANNOUNCEMENT: for those of you who do not read the glamourverse blog, I started a story on there that pertains to the man in the flashback (if you read the blog, you can find out who he is! click the "cast photos" link on the side. It's not a spoiler, really.) So anyways, I plan to update that story before the week is out also. You don't have to read it if you don't want to (as it's Magnus/OC, from when Magnus is ages 16-18). However, a lot of it will clue you into some places/happenings/motivations in this story, so I strongly suggest it. As an incentive, there's a lot of Marianna in it (Magnus' mother). **

**Hope you guys are enjoying this story so far, and please let me know what you think! Next chapter, Izzy's in town and Amy's causing more trouble (gasp!). Can't wait til then!**


	4. Bad Vibes

**Hello all. I'm so deeply sorry for the delay with this chapter. I know you don't want excuses, but I had a rough couple of weeks. So, that's over now and I'm back with a vengeance.**

** Also, there was going to be a lemon in this chapter, but I got complaints about too much sex in previous chapters, so I left it out. If you guys disagree, let me know. Honestly, there's a reason there is so much sex/fluff in the beginning of this story. They're still in the honeymoon stage of their relationship, so the fact that they can't keep their hands off each other is understandable. Also, they were just apart for two months. They're going to fuck pretty much every chance they get. They've missed each other. And lastly, I think they deserve a little sexy times for all the shit that's going to come their way later. So if you want more lemons, lemme know :) There will be plenty, but I'll be holding back more than normal if you guys don't like it. As always, I live to please. **

**Not beta'd. Sarah's having a busy month. Still luv ya, tho. :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: Why Georgia by John Mayer (of course, lol)<strong>

"I'm am drivin' eighty five in the kind of mornin' that lasts all afternooooon," Magnus crooned above the radio, his vibrato almost obscured by the huge smile on his face as he swayed in the driver's seat to the music. Isabelle just laughed.

"Are you ever going to wipe the grin off your face? It's been a week, for crying out loud!" she whined, but she couldn't help it. Magnus' smile was extremely infectious.

"Oh my _god_, you should've been there! I think I can officially die happy now," he replied, in no way deterred by her statement. He pressed the accelerator to pass up a grandma driver on the PCH. They were speeding towards Fashion Island, since Isabelle was only in town for the day to see if she could find a dress for a cocktail party in Malibu she'd been invited to. She had to admit, whenever she was on this coast, her immediate thought for a shopping partner was Magnus. He was amazing, and he always told her the truth, even if she didn't want to hear it.

"Yeah, well. I'm chained to New York these days. Still can't believe I signed the damn contract," she mumbled under the wind whipping through her hair.

"Oh come on. You prefer high rises and stiff upper lips to Venice Beach any day," Magnus retorted with a laugh. It was true, Izzy was very much a city girl.

"Yeah I guess. Did you know I'm doing the whole campaign with Will? He and Jem moved back to New York. He said they used to live in your friend's building."

"Small world, huh?" Magnus replied. "Cam had it in for Will the first time she saw him, oh my god," he said, and couldn't help but laugh. "She about died when sweet little James accompanied him to the apartment-warming party. I dare say she was heartbroken. I told her not to sweat a pig like William Herondale." He sneered at the name.

"Trust me, no one knows better than I do how much of an ass he can be," Izzy said. "I really wish I'd never agreed to do that first shoot with him. The industry practically thinks of us as a package deal now." She was silent for a moment. "But…Calvin Klein wasn't the reason they moved back."

Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"Jem's wasn't doing too well. I mean, from what I understand, he's been doing a lot better since they've been back in New York, and he's seeing Dr. Aubert again, so that's good. He loves her."

"That's good. I never did understand what someone like Jem could see in someone like Will. It's like Hades and Aphrodite or something."

"Somehow I don't think Jem would like being compared to the goddess of beauty," Isabelle chuckled.

"And why not? He's the most adorable twink in creation. Aside from your brother, of course," he added with a wink. She rolled her eyes. They drove in silence for a bit before Magnus spoke up again. "Iz, as my practically-sister-in-law, can I ask you something serious?"

"You're not asking my permission to marry Alec are you? Because if you are, I might flip out in girlish screams, which is unbecoming; secondly, you're not getting off that easy, you gotta ask the boss," she intoned with a smile.

"Your mother would scare the pants off any queen, no matter how fabulous," Magnus said with a shudder. "But no, that's not what I'm asking. Too soon. We'll cross that bridge in a couple months." She punched him playfully in the shoulder. He leveled a look at her, and continued. "What do you know about Amy Weston?"

"Oh wow. Haven't heard that name in a while. She was Alec's beard in high school," she said, her expression thoughtful.

"So you knew? Back then?"

"Well, not really. I mean, I had my suspicions by the time she came around, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. But obviously I was right, thank god." She made a face. "She was okay. Nice enough. They both played soccer in school, and the boys' and girls' teams traveled together a lot. It was kind of obvious she had it bad for him. Lots of girls did, he just never noticed. I guess Amy was the first one who _made_ him notice."

"Did you know he lost his virginity to her?" Magnus asked, cutting his eyes toward Izzy.

She wheeled her head around to stare at him. "_What_?" she gasped. "Oh my _god_ he never told me that!"

"Really? He told me that on our first date," he replied, smug smile in place. She smacked his arm.

"Well, he loves you more than I thought. It took me giving him a lecture and guilting him silly until he actually told me, in words, that he was gay. Alec's not the type to share personal stuff." She gave Magnus a smile. "This is a good sign," she said. Magnus' smile eventually fell, getting back to the task at hand.

"Was she like, psycho at all?" he asked as they were pulling into a parking space in front of Macy's.

"I don't think so. Just a teenage girl in love. You should've seen the way her eyes lit up whenever Alec was around."

"I think I have seen it already," said Magnus with a groan. He turned the car off, leaving the top down, but they continued to sit.

Isabelle turned to him. "What? You've met Amy? As in…here?" she asked.

"Yeah. She's paid Alec a couple of visits. I mean, I haven't walked in on her trying to molest him or anything, but she just has these…vibes. I can't explain it. Alec's oblivious, as always."

"Oh, I wouldn't expect any less. But what the hell would Amy Weston be doing in LA? I mean, her parents were well off, but not at the top of the heap. She needed scholarships to go to our school. She was smart, but not Ivy League smart. She's not that pretty. She doesn't seem like the type to run across the U.S. just to see an old flame, even if she was infatuated with him 5 years ago."

"She didn't look like she was in need of scholarships. She was wearing this season's Dior and Chanel, and she was carrying an otherwise unreleased Marc Jacobs. I'd say she's as well off as anyone," Magnus said.

"Really? She must have come into some money somehow, then, since we graduated. Can't imagine how, though. Her only special talent, now that I think about it, was pining after my brother. That's the only thing she was ever good at," Isabelle replied.

"Well, I don't like it. He's all mine, damnit," Magnus pouted playfully. He wasn't afraid of this Amy taking Alec away from him, that was for sure; however, that didn't mean he was okay with her putting herself in the middle of their lives whenever she damn well felt like it. There was something about her that just…rubbed him the wrong way.

**Song for this section: California Waiting by Kings of Leon**

Magnus was lying on the couch in his apartment the next day when Alec finally made it home from the grocery store. Magnus had promised to cook the two of them lasagna for their last dinner in LA, as they were headed to New York tomorrow afternoon and then on to London the next day. He'd offered to do the grocery shopping himself, but Alec said it was on his way back from Carson anyway, and he'd had to meet with the team trainer one last time. He walked in, looking flushed and adorable as ever, smiling hugely.

"You'll never guess who I saw at Whole Foods," he said by way of greeting, slipping past Magnus and into the kitchen. Magnus heaved himself up off the couch and followed after him.

"Hmmm," he contemplated. "Cher?"

"Nope," Alec replied as he began unpacking the paper bags.

"Barbara?"

"Uh…no."

"Liza?"

"Who?"

Magnus gasped theatrically. "Oh my god, darling. Are you sure you're gay?"

"Would you like a demonstration?" Alec asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Oh, I think last night was good enough. I guess I'll take your word for it," Magnus replied, slipping his arms around Alec's waist and leaning in for a kiss. He let go, letting Alec get back to unloading the groceries onto the counter. He waited for Alec to clarify.

"Sean Lockhart. Sean Paul fucking Lockhart," he said, nearly swooning at the end. Magnus stopped what he was doing and turned around to lean on the counter and stare at his boyfriend with a satisfied smile, crossing his arms over his chest. "What?" Alec said, noticing the scrutiny.

"Oh nothing. Sorry for doubting you, is all," he replied, still smiling.

"Huh?"

"Well, not only are you gay enough to watch gay porn, you watch so much that you have a favorite porn star. And furthermore, you are so big of a fan that you know his _actual _name instead of just his stage name. You're as gay as the straight teenage girls on tumblr. And that's pretty damn gay. So congrats, babe," Magnus said, stealing another kiss as Alec laughed through his blush.

"I spent a lot of time alone in my room in the past few years. I had to have some means of release, you know. Brent Corrigan videos just happen to be a great stimulus." Magnus watched with unconcealed amusement as Alec turned his bright red cheeks away from him before he yanked him back into his arms with a laugh. Just then, Alec's phone buzzed.

"Could you get that for me while I put this stuff up?"

Magnus placed a kiss on his temple before regretfully letting go and fishing the phone out of Alec's back pocket. He touched the screen to reveal a text message.

_So when are you guys leaving for London? The tour starts soon!_

It was from Amy. It was also perfectly harmless and friendly. But Magnus got a bad taste in the back of his throat. He chastised himself for being so overtly jealous of an old flame that wasn't even a flame, but a cover-up. He opened the reply window.

_We leave tomorrow._

A few seconds later the reply came.

_Oh really? That's way early! You'll have a couple weeks before the first show! You must be excited. _

Still harmless and friendly; and still Magnus got an eerie vibe. He looked over at Alec, who was turning on the stove and heating oil in a saucepan. Completely oblivious. He opened another reply window.

_Yeah, totally. Magnus and I are making a mini vacation out of it. _

He thought about saying that they probably wouldn't leave the hotel for a few days, having loud, inconsiderate sex for hours on end, but he knew Alec would never send something like that. Still, he wanted to make his point clear, so he added: _It'll be fun to be alone with my boyfriend for a while. _There.

_That's nice. Do you know where you're staying? I'm sure it's probably somewhere amazing!_

Okay. Magnus was a total girl at heart, and he knew she was probably just asking because she could appreciate the romanticism of a beautiful hotel room on the top floor of the Ritz—which was where they were staying. However, something finally struck a chord with him and he didn't want to answer in the way he normally would, which would be to tell her outright, and rub it in her face. It just…seemed creepy that she'd be wanting to know where they were staying. She came to LA to stalk him, didn't she? Who's to say she wouldn't go all the way to England? But no, Izzy said she wasn't psycho. But what girl in love isn't a teensy bit crazy? And Alec certainly warrants it…

He mentally smacked himself. He really needed to stop watching old re-runs of Murder She Wrote.

_Don't know yet. He won't tell me. Gotta go! Time for dinner._

That was hopefully succinct and very Alec-like. He hoped.

"Who was it?" Alec asked, still distracted with starting to make the marinara sauce.

"No one special," Magnus answered, setting the phone down and coming up behind Alec, slipping his arms around his waist again. He placed a kiss on the side of his neck and rested his chin on Alec's shoulder.

"You're really clingy today," Alec observed.

"Sorry. Just marking my territory," Magnus answered with another kiss on the neck that turned into a hickey pretty soon, and Alec almost burned the sauce.

**Song for this section: U Should Know Better by Robyn ft. Snoop Dogg**

"Change of plans. You've only got a couple of days before they get there," Amy said into the phone.

_"Thanks for the heads up. Right nice of you," _came the sarcastic British-accented reply.

"Thought you said you got it in the bag. 'Bloody fucking piece of cake', I believe, were your exact words."

_"Oh, it will be. Trust me, the moment he sees me—"_

"Right. He'll just swoon and fall right back into your arms. Sure. I just hope your schoolgirl dreams are founded in reality," she retorted.

_"Sweets, you have no idea what we were. No. Idea. And you also have no idea how much Magnus Bane craves my attention. He's proven it on many an occasion. He need only a short command from me, and he'll drop to his knees in worship. It's happened on several occasions, believe me."_

"Here's hoping you're not full of shit." She noticed that he was getting a little worked up. For a middle aged hottie—as hot as one could be when middle aged—he was creepily possessive of Magnus. That was totally the vibe she got from him. Like he didn't exactly _love_ Magnus like she loved Alec, but rather like he was desperate to get back a piece of property that someone had stolen from him. Like it irked him to the point of extreme annoyance, but he disguised it as love. She had no idea what their relationship had been like, only that he said he and Magnus had been together about 8 years ago. Frankly, she thought Magnus was rather good looking, and didn't see why he would have gone after a guy so many years older than him when he was younger. But it wasn't her place to wonder what Magnus and his English sugar daddy did in the last decade. It simply served her purpose that Magnus would be out of the way, if what he was saying was true, and Magnus couldn't resist him.

"I couldn't get where they're staying, so you'll have to guess at that one," she said.

_"The Ritz,"_ he said immediately. _"Most likely the penthouse. Magnus likes silk sheets."_

"Okay. Enough info," she cut him off with a shudder.

_"You'll have your little boy wonder back in no time, sweets. Just leave it to me from here on."_

She hung up. He better come through. Or she was going to come over there and shove a teacup up his English ass.

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><p><strong>So...are we sufficiently creeped yet? Hope so. So, they're off to New York tomorrow, so you know what that means? A night in the Lightwood mansion with Maryse and Robert. I should mention Jace is home as well. Isabelle, too. Not to mention we're back in Camille's territory. And lest we forget Will and Jem. Wow...the entire gang's going to show up next chapter. Excited? I am! <strong>

**And then, the next day, off to the UK! :) As always, tell me what you guys think. **


	5. The Gang

**Hey guys! Sorry this is a day late. I've had the worst cold this week. But hopefully the fact that this is long AND has a lemon AND the rest of the gang in it will make up for the wait! Love you guys.**

**Unbeta'd again. I tend to finish at stupid times when mongoose is busy lol**

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: All Apologies by Nirvana (I know we saw this in MLG, but it's one of Alec's favorites :D) <strong>

"Whatcha dooooin'?" Magnus inquired as he plopped down on the couch next to Alec, who was stretched out across it with his headphones shoved in his ears. He was wearing a decidedly grim expression. He pulled out the earbuds and sighed loudly.

"Trying to calm my nerves," he groaned.

"Oh come on…it's not going to be that bad," Magnus chuckled, picking up Alec's feet and settling them across his lap. Their luggage was all packed and waiting by the door; the car was due to take them to the airport in an hour, then they were off to New York for a night before leaving for London. Alec had started getting fidgety and fretful this morning, presumably at the thought of spending the night in his parents' house—with _both_ his parents there—with his boyfriend whom his mother had only met once, and his father had yet to meet. Not to mention his brother. Magnus assumed he wasn't really that worried about Izzy, since Magnus spent more time with her than _he_ did nowadays. However, he could imagine Alec's discomfort, considering the fact that yes, while they were out as a couple in the media and everything seemed to be going too smoothly to be true, his parents were still new to the idea. Even though Maryse had given her blessing, she was still the scariest woman in this hemisphere. Magnus could understand why Alec was apprehensive.

"You really should loosen up. Just think…it's only one night. And we probably won't even be spending much of it in the house anyway," Magnus offered.

"Yeah, I know. But to tell you the truth I'm not too thrilled about the night out either. I heard about the fight, you know. The last time you all were in the same room. Are you going to let Jace back into Cherry Bomb?" Alec asked, and Magnus could see the teeniest hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Well, that's not exactly my discretion anymore. I suppose Camille can do what she wants," he replied. "I've made my peace with your brother. It's Manhattan's resident douchebag I'm worried about being in the same room with. We don't mesh well," he groaned.

"You know, all these years Izzy's been working with him and I've never met Will Herondale. It's funny, though. For a while there when he first started getting noticed, every red carpet interview I had asked me if I was going to start modeling, since my 'twin' was so good at it." He laughed.

"Oh my god don't say that. You are _nothing_ like William Herondale." Magnus shuddered and stuck his tongue out.

"Um…" Alec looked amused and started ticking off on his fingers, "black hair, blue eyes, pale…we're basically the same person," he said with a laugh.

"Don't forget meticulously chiseled abs that could cut glass," Magnus added. "But really, no. You two are nothing alike. I don't see it at all. I mean, sure, black hair and blue eyes—and gorgeous bodies—but that's where it ends. The way you carry yourself is completely different."

"What? With a slump that'll eventually cause a hump in my back, as my mother says?"

"No. You carry yourself…not like a douchebag," Magnus said, as though that explained everything.

"If you say so. Izzy does say he's a nightmare sometimes."

"You have _no_ idea. His only redeeming quality is Jem," Magnus said.

"Jem?"

"His boyfriend, James Carstairs. He's a violinist, and he's probably the only one in the world I've ever met who can put up with Will Herondale's shit, as well as his own, with a smile on his face the whole time." Magnus smiled to himself a little at the thought of Jem. It was true, what Will lacked in tact and personality, Jem made up for in kindness.

"I think Izzy mentioned him once," Alec said contemplatively.

"He's a veritable saint, if you ask me. I mean, who stays with someone like Will for eight years and doesn't go completely berserk? It's just a shame that…" he trailed off, his face falling.

Alec pulled his feet away and sat up. "A shame that what?" he asked curiously.

"Jem is positive," Magnus said, looking down at his own knees.

"Sorry?" Alec intoned.

Magnus bit his lip and looked up, running a hand through the strands of hair next to Alec's temple. "Sorry, I forget you haven't lived in this 'world' for very long. Jem…he has HIV." He watched with disappointment as the color inevitably drained from Alec's face slightly. Magnus did often forget that Alec grew up sheltered, especially from the gay community. He'd had a very different experience than Magnus, who'd been sneaking out to gay bars since he was 14. There were truths about the whole thing that people liked to forget, until they were faced with them in real life. Alec was so innocent sometimes, so naïve to all that, and Magnus kind of hated that he'd be the one to poke holes in his perfect little universe. But Alec was resilient, and he knew there wasn't much that could break him.

"I kind of let myself think that HIV and AIDS was one of those things that was only scary and prevalent in the 80s. I mean, no one really talks about it anymore. I forget that there isn't a cure; it just kind of gets swept under the rug," Alec said softly.

Magnus let his hand drop down to rest over Alec's. "Don't worry, okay? We're okay. I've been tested lots of times, and I'm negative. And you've only ever been with me, and you've never used drugs before, that I know of?" Alec shook his head, as if the idea was absurd. "Then we're okay. We'll be okay. Don't let it scare you, alright?"

"I'm not scared, I just…" he didn't finish. He just shrugged, then smiled at Magnus. He leaned in to place a quick, chaste kiss on Magnus' lips, and then heaved himself off the couch. "Time to go," he said. Magnus looked at his watch, and it was indeed time for the car to be here. They lugged their bags down the stairs, and the driver loaded them into the trunk. Then, they headed off to LAX.

The car was meant to provide them privacy and anonymity, really, but the effect is always kind of the opposite. The fact that someone drives up to the terminal in a black Mercedes with blacked out windows isn't that hard to notice. And, at a place like LAX, there were _always_ paparazzi on hand, looking for just such a thing. They waited in the back seat until the driver opened the door for them, their bags already loaded onto a luggage cart. They got about ten paces past the doors when the cameras started flashing. It wasn't like either of them weren't used to it by now, but sometimes it was just downright annoying. Magnus kept his sunglasses on, but his tall frame was hard to miss. Alec just looked down most of the time, swinging his arm out to brush against Magnus' to make sure he was still there. They were stopped after getting through security by a couple of teenage girls who nearly squealed when Magnus smiled at them. Magnus and Alec both signed their luggage tags. The photographers kept asking them if they were excited about their trip, and they gave noncommittal answers like 'sure', and 'yeah', but nothing further.

Finally, their bags checked and loaded, they made it into first class of Continental 4892 to New York. Magnus sighed deeply as he pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, sending his hair out of his face and revealing his bright eyes when he looked at Alec. Alec was starting to look fretful again, so Magnus just smiled and grabbed his hand. Alec offered a small smile in return, and squeezed back.

**Song for this section: Night Bird Flying by Jimi Hendrix**

They landed at La Guardia, and Alec had almost calmed completely. Really, it sounded dumb and cliché, but Magnus holding his hand put him at ease. Sure, he still wasn't really looking forward to his parents and boyfriend being in the same house—which was juvenile of him, he admitted—but he had relaxed enough to feel at least indifferent about the idea instead of on edge. Magnus was right, they'd be out most of the night. They just had to make it through about an hour of uncomfortable conversation before they could excuse themselves from the scrutiny that was no doubt coming their way. Magnus, by contrast, was more carefree than Alec suspected he'd be. He always said he was terrified of Alec's mother, but apparently he was flawless at hiding it.

The paparazzi situation wasn't nearly as bad as LAX, and they were out in the main lobby with their luggage pretty fast. Magnus had to sign a couple of autographs along the way, but it wasn't a big deal. Once they made it to the door out to the loading area, though, Alec's nerves clenched up again at the sight of Hodge waiting with the limo. He didn't dislike Hodge or anything, but it just brought everything back to the forefront. It was going to be a long night.

"Hi boys!" he called as they made their way towards him. He popped the trunk and started loading their suitcases inside. "Lord, don't _you_ look like skin and bones!" he exclaimed as he took a look at Magnus. "Too much jet-setting for you lately. You could use a rest, young man." His tone was fatherly, and Alec couldn't help but notice there was no annoyance in Magnus' face, but rather an unexpected fondness.

"I've had a month! That's plenty."

"Mmhm. I suppose. But wait till you get to be my age. A month of rest from the crazy life _you_ lead will feel like five minutes. I suppose you should live it up while you're young, eh?" he said, clapping his hand on Magnus' back. Magnus just smiled and Alec was at ease once again.

The car ride was relatively silent. Hodge hummed with the radio and Magnus was just looking out the window as the city passed by. Alec had lived in LA for a few years now; he didn't really miss New York, as he'd never been the fast-paced congested city-type. Magnus, on the other hand, was very metropolitan oriented. Sure, Alec could tell he enjoyed LA, but his heart would always be in NYC. At that thought, he started to wonder how Magnus felt about London. Did he still consider that his home? Or was he as far removed from it as Alec was from here? He didn't talk about it very much, but that was understandable, Alec supposed. There were bad memories associated with his last days there. Alec was suddenly struck by the notion that he knew next to nothing about Magnus' life before he'd come to America for good. He didn't know about his home life, his school experiences, his relationships…it was all kind of cloudy to Alec. He was very much hoping he'd be able to peel away some of the layers of his boyfriend's past when they made it to England. Magnus was an interesting soul, and he was eager to see the roots of that existence, to discover all the things that made him tick.

Sooner or later, the Lightwood mansion loomed above them, and Hodge told them to go on inside, refusing to let them help with the luggage. "Rest!" he exclaimed. "It's your last day of it!" Alec just rolled his eyes. He searched out Magnus' hand, keeping his gaze on the door as they made their way up the steps. He felt a warm palm slide against his, and he pushed the door open.

"Mom? Dad?" he called out tentatively. "We're here!" He cringed a little as his voice echoed off the cold marble of the foyer.

A few seconds of silence, then, "In here, son." He thought he heard Magnus take a fortifying breath beside him at the sound of Robert Lightwood's commanding baritone. He tried to keep calm, hoping it would go a lot like it had with his mother the last time.

They made their way into the smaller living room, which was more like a study for his father, except absent a desk. When he was home—which was exceptionally rare—he liked to go over the papers and the trades, seated in one of the thick, chocolate leather armchairs. The entire room was a stark contrast to what anyone else would call the actual "living room" or "family room", which had its stark white, silver, and black theme.

As soon as they had cleared the doorway, they were greeted by the towering form of Robert Lightwood. He thrust out a hand to Magnus.

"Robert," he said, introducting himself. "Nice to meet you, Magnus."

Alec cringed a little. His father was a very blunt, straightforward man—which served him well in his line of work—and it could be a little disorienting at times.

Magnus only looked startled for a second at Robert calling him by name, but it stood to reason that he'd know who he was. Alec had talked to his father on the phone about them after they'd met with his mother the first time, so he knew about their relationship. He was really okay with it, though he did voice that it bothered him a small bit, but that was understandable. Alec had kind of sprung it on him out of the blue. Alexander Lightwood isn't one of those guys you'd suspect to be gay, and he was sure that wishful thinking had covered the rest of the doubt throughout all the years of his life, in his father's mind at least. He'd said he was surprised, and a little taken aback, but his son should be who was. There was nothing he could do to change it, and that was that. Not the ideal reaction, but nonetheless incredibly better than he could have hoped for.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Magnus replied, shaking Robert's hand firmly. Alec tried not to notice the brief flicker of surprise that flashed across his father's face. He'd been expecting a weak little twink. He was one of those men that still had a heteronormative frame of mind, and Alec realized with quite a bit of embarrassment that his father had probably pegged his son to be the "guy" in the relationship. Nevermind that they were both guys because that's how being gay worked. Alec brushed it off, though, because Magnus handled the situation flawlessly as always.

"It's so cool to talk to the guy who's responsible for Pirates of the Caribbean! One of my favorite movies of all time, hands down," Magnus gushed. Although he wasn't lying—it was his favorite movie and they'd watched it about a gazillion times—it seemed like surface flattery. However, as Alec knew, this was honestly the best way to appeal to Robert Lightwood. A man who's married to one of the most powerful women behind the scenes of Hollywood needs all the ego boost he can get. Alec inwardly rolled his eyes.

"Well, I had help," Robert said, laughing. "But thank you. I got a lot of flack from Maryse for saying I was going to do a movie based off a theme park ride, but I showed her, didn't I son?" He clapped Alec on the back, and suddenly it was like old times, like his dad was congratulating him on winning one of his games in youth soccer club.

"Sure, dad." Alec relaxed a great deal after that.

"So, you guys are heading off to Europe. Did you know Alec has never been to the Lake District in England? He avoided it at all costs every time we vacationed there."

"Really?" Magnus looked genuinely surprised and a little scandalized. "You've been to England but you've never been to Cumbria?"

"He's actually not technically been to England," Robert said.

"Um, excuse me. Technically I _have_," Alec protested.

"Yeah. We were in Paris and we traveled to the coast one weekend. I think he was about fourteen. He wanted to ride the ferry, so he and I and Jace got on and rode to Dover, then turned around and got right back on. It hardly counts," Robert explained.

"You're telling me you've never even been to one of Jace's London premieres?" Magnus asked.

"Why is this turning into something about me? This is about you getting to know my dad here…"

"Ah. That's my eldest son. Alexander, the great deflector. Although, Mr. Bane, he has a point." Robert raised an eyebrow in Alec's direction. "Could you give us a minute, man to man? Jace and Izzy are upstairs in her room." He turned back into the room, not even expecting a protest. Alec wasn't going to give him one, but still he shot Magnus a look. His boyfriend looked a teeny bit terrified, but Alec just smiled at him. His dad wouldn't murder him or anything. At least, that wasn't likely.

**Song for this section: Say You'll Be There by the Spice Girls (Yes. You read that right. Blame Isabelle.)**

He left his boyfriend in his father's hands and headed upstairs. He followed the sound of the Spice Girls up to Isabelle's room and found her sitting at her vanity, a magazine open on the surface of the desk and bouncing her foot along to the irritatingly loud music. Jace was sprawled across her bed in nothing but jeans and a black tank top, his hair still wet from an obvious shower.

"Hola, brother dearest!" he called, his head leaning backwards off the bed and looking upside down in the direction of the door. Isabelle looked up from her reading and smiled.

"Missed your mug around this joint. Where's your better half? I gotta ask him if this is true," she mused, glancing back to her magazine.

"He's talking to dad. And what's true?" Alec asked, coming to stand behind her and read over her shoulder.

"Cosmo says he's got a nine inch cock," she said contemplatively. Alec almost choked, grabbing the magazine out from under her hands and studying the page in alarm. She just snickered. "Joking, Alec. You know…ha ha?"

"Fuck you," he said, tossing the book back in front of her, choosing to flop down next to Jace on the bed. "And what the _hell_ are you listening to?"

"Oh shut up. You need to get used to it, since you'll be surrounded by it tomorrow," she quipped with a smile.

"Iz, I don't think England is perpetually stuck in the 90s. I'm pretty sure their music has evolved as much as ours has. Though…I'm not entirely sure. Robbie Williams is still big over there, huh?" Jace rambled, his head still hanging off the bed.

Alec saw Izzy roll her eyes. "Still, the Spice Girls are to British pop what Nsync is to the States," she said.

"Dead and buried and never coming back to haunt the radio waves again?" Alec offered. Isabelle threw the magazine at him, but he ducked in time to simply catch it in his right hand.

"I dunno. Most of them are still hot. Which reminds me," Jace exclaimed, his head popping up to look at Alec, "when are you gonna introduce me to Victoria?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Alec rolled his eyes. It's true, the Lightwood children were rather good at rolling their eyes at each other; it was called for a lot more than it probably should be. "I think the fact that she's _married_ to a teammate of mine kind of shoots that horse in the face."

"I didn't say I wanted to fuck her or anything. Although, if you can arrange that—Ow!" he cut off, laughing, when Alec smacked his stomach with the magazine. He let his head fall back over the edge of the bed.

Alec looked back over at Isabelle just as she leaned over to check her eyeliner more closely in the mirror, and her top rode up to reveal a strip of skin above her jeans. On her side, just above her hip, was a line of words tattooed on her tanned skin.

"Izzy! What the hell do you have on your hip?" he exclaimed, jumping up and going to her, pulling her shirt up more to inspect the tattoo.

She didn't pull away from him, simply smiled at him through the mirror. "They're lyrics," she said nonchalantly. He looked closely at the flowing script that looked like handwriting. _The fire to my fool_. "From one of Simon's songs. I thought they were pretty."

Alec gave her a hard look. "You know as soon as you get tattoos about the relationship, it goes down the shitter, right?"

"I'll take my chances," she said. He watched her face, and her expression was almost unreadable. Her eyes were serene and untroubled, but her jaw was tight. It begged him to understand. He just sighed; if anyone could understand falling fast and falling hard, it was him. He was in no place to judge. Plus, Izzy was a big girl. Still, he couldn't resist.

"You just better hope I don't tell mom. She'll be pissed," he said smugly.

She looked back at him, completely unbothered. "You won't tell mom," she said, completely sure of herself. He turned back to look at her, intrigued by her tone.

"And what makes you so sure?" he threatened.

"You know," she began, looking up innocently, "Magnus and I have become good friends as of late. Did you know sometimes he gets little cases of word vomit? It's quite adorable, I'm sure you'd agree. And dear brother, if mom knew the things I knew, she'd immediately and maniacally disinfect her _entire_ office. _Especially_ the desk." She finished haughtily, with a quirk of her eyebrow.

Alec's jaw was basically dragging the floor, his eyes wide as saucers. Jace's head popped up again.

"You fucked in mom's office? Oh, you're bold, bro. I commend you," he said in awe.

"Oh. My. God. I'm going to kill him." Alec swallowed hard. "I'm going to kill. Him."

"So see? Mom won't find out, and it'll be airbrushed out of any photos. Problem solved." She brushed her hands together twice, as if batting off dust, and turned back to the mirror, checking her makeup again.

**Song for this section: Music by Madonna (playing in Cherry Bomb)**

So, it turned out, hanging with the whole big group wasn't all that bad. Well, except for the occasional cutting remarks exchanged between Will and Magnus. He'd been told as much, but he didn't really grasp how much they disliked each other until they were in close proximity to each other. However, the others in the group tended to temper it enough. Jem was especially adept at calming that fire in Will's eyes. It was really fascinating to watch them together, and he wondered, as Magnus had expressed to him before, how the two of them found each other. They seemed like complete opposites in every regard. He guessed someone could say that about him and Magnus, but with Will and Jem it seemed so much more pronounced.

Jem was quiet and grounded, while Will seemed flighty and perpetually ready to throw a punch. He and Isabelle had said relatively few words to each other, but they looked as if they'd learned to tolerate each other enough. Jace and Clary had been talking between themselves nearly the whole time. Simon had engaged Magnus in some kind of discussion across the table about chord progression and the influence of 12-bar blues on American pop music. Camille and the girl next to her, Tessa, joined in the discussion of anti-feminist themes in teen television with Isabelle. Will and Jem had disappeared to the dance floor when Madonna came on; Alec learned that Jem had a love for all things 80s and even though the song wasn't from the era, he couldn't say no to Madonna, and Will of course couldn't say no to Jem. Alec, being his quiet self, simply observed the conversations contentedly, Magnus' warm hand resting on his thigh and their legs pressed against each other.

Sooner or later, Will and Jem came back, and a new set of conversations circulated. Tessa and Will were discussing contemporary American literature. Jem and Isabelle were talking about his next concert at the Met, and Magnus and Camille were talking fashion, trying to get Alec to take part in the conversation.

"Come on," Camille said. "You can't tell me you've been sleeping with Magnus Bane for almost a year and you haven't picked up a few things." She gestured to his outfit, which was quite stylish, if he did say so himself. He was in distressed bronze colored jeans, military boots, and a black button up. He had on a studded belt with lots of chains hanging off it. Magnus' eyes had nearly bugged out of his head when Alec emerged from his closet. Isabelle joked about scraping his jaw up off the floor nearly the whole ride across town.

"I mean, you are related to a fashion model, for god's sake!" she cried.

"I don't really think about what's trendy or whatever. It's way too much to keep up with. I just put on what I think looks good, I guess," Alec answered with a shrug.

"In that case, I'd prefer you in just your birthday suit, please. That's the best look for you," Magnus said, nuzzling his ear. Alec laughed nervously and playfully smacked him.

"Okay, you two are making me sick. You can stop now," Camille groaned, but a smile pulled at her lips anyway. Tessa had snaked her arm around Camille's waist without even breaking conversation, and Camille hadn't even acknowledged it. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. Alec envied that; he was fine with that kind of thing at home, when it was just them, or even when he was with family or close friends. But in full view of the public, he was still unable to repress that little jolt of fear of judgment as Magnus slid an arm across his shoulders. He let it happen, but always for an instant he wanted to hesitate. He hated that.

Magnus spoke up. "So are you two, like, a _thing_ now?"

"Ugh. Don't call it a _thing_, Magnus. It makes it sound like a horror movie," Camille said with a wrinkle of her nose.

Magnus pursed his lips for a second. "An entire relationship completely devoid of dick? Sounds like a horror movie to me…" he answered with a pained expression. Tessa sipped her drink to hide her smirk as Camille punched him in the arm. He just giggled quietly, and leaned in to peck a kiss on her cheek. "You know I love you anyway. But now that you're gay I can't help but love you more!"

"I am _not_ gay. No offense, sweetness," she added, looking around Magnus at Alec. He just chuckled. "I'm _exploring_."

"I hope you've done lots and lots of exploring," Magnus intoned, raising a brow.

"Trust me, I have," Tessa cut in. Camille blushed slightly but elbowed her playfully. Tessa simply leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips, and Camille let her. When Tessa turned back to Will, Camille bit her lip and looked at Magnus, and just shrugged and smiled.

**Song for this section: Gimme One Reason by Tracy Chapman**

"And still, the Batman sheets," Magnus snickered when they finally made it back to Alec's room. He was now in only his tight black jeans as Alec looked over to him from the bathroom where he was brushing his teeth. Alec just rolled his eyes and spit in the sink. He rinsed his mouth out and came into the bedroom. He was already in flannel sleep pants, but Magnus liked to sleep naked. He came up next to Magnus and slid his arms around his neck.

"Are you really going to make fun of me forever? I happen to like men in tight black leather. I didn't know you had a problem with that," he said, gazing up at Magnus through his lashes.

Magnus snorted. "And Alexander Lightwood never ceases to amaze me with his progress in dropping innuendo. I'm so proud. I've done such a great job in such a short time."

Alec laughed. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too. Although…I still can't believe you've never been to England. That's such blasphemy!" Magnus whined. He yelped when Alec reached down and picked him up, slapping his ass in the process, and turned around to drop him on the bed, crawling on top of him.

"Just look at it this way," Alec said, smiling down at him, placing kisses on his jaw every so often, reveling in the soft mewling sounds it pulled from Magnus. "You get to show me everything for the first time. And I know how much you like acting the connoisseur , so I don't know why you're complaining."

"You know me way too well, Mr. Lightwood."

"It's my curse. Doomed to see inside your soul at the drop of a hat," Alec said solemnly. Magnus chuckled before pulling him down into a deep kiss, their tongues sliding and teeth clicking every so often. Magnus' head was pressed into the crevasse between two pillows, and Alec batted them away to get at him closer. He ground his hips down into Magnus', feeling his half-hard erection slide against Alec's own.

"You know what's funny?" he asked when they broke apart for a moment, breathing a little unsteadily.

"The fact that you're talking and not kissing me right now? Because I don't think it's funny. I think it's frustrating," Magnus pouted.

Alec went on as if he hadn't spoken. "This bed has never been fucked in. Like, I always envied Izzy and Jace since they always brought dates home in high school and stuff. Lord knows Jace has had enough wild teenage sex for all the people in this household. But I was always jealous. In this bed, I'll always feel like a blushing virgin."

"You know all you have to do is say the word, and this will officially be the dirtiest bed in the whole house. We'll defile it as many times as you want to, babycakes," Magnus snickered, running a hand up Alec's bare back and causing him to shiver when his nails scraped the skin lightly.

"Okay but…" Alec hesitated. "I also never understood how in the hell the two of them could have sex in the same house as our parents. It just seems…I don't know…weird."

"Alec. Your parents' room is on the other end of this monstrosity of a house. I'm pretty sure people in China would hear you before they did. Although, you might want to make a teeny bit of effort. You _are_ quite the screamer." Alec swatted the side of his thigh. "I didn't say I didn't enjoy it!"

"You really want to?" Alec asked after a moment's pause. "We have to be up in like, two hours. And then an eight hour flight. You sure you're up for it?"

"Since when did they outlaw sleeping in first class?" Magnus asked. Alec smirked and captured his lips again. They tried to continue kissing while Magnus tried to shimmy out of his pants, but that just ended up in accidentally biting lips a little too hard and teeth hitting awkwardly, so Alec leaned up and yanked them off himself. Magnus slid his hands into the back of Alec's pajama pants, grazing over his ass and causing Alec to arch his back like a cat. He pushed them down Alec's thighs, and Alec kicked them off with his feet, coming back down and grinding against Magnus.

"Turn over ," he whispered in Magnus' ear.

"Uh, uh. It's your turn, babe," Magnus intoned, jerking his hips up involuntarily when Alec bit his ear lobe.

"Oh, come on. Let me make you scream," Alec teased.

"It's you who's the screamer. Besides, I thought you were afraid of the parentals, hmm?" Magnus shot back. "I'll wake up the entire block if you want to play it that way."

"I could always gag you. With my boxers." Alec reveled in the shiver that ran down Magnus' spine.

"But shouldn't _you_ be the one getting fucked in your own bed?" Magnus reasoned. "It seems only fair."

"Fine. I'll play you for it," Alec said, leaning up to sit back on his heels. Magnus propped himself up on his elbows.

"Excuse me?" he said, looking incredulous.

Alec simply closed one hand into a fist, and opened a palm out below it, in the ready position.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me. I am not about to rock, paper, scissors you in bed."

"If you surrender, then turn over," Alec said, still holding his hands up. Magnus raised both brows at him, never to back down from a challenge. He slid backwards, his legs sliding between Alec's enough so that he could sit up, facing him. He made the same fist and palm as Alec.

"Best two out of three," Magnus said. Alec nodded. They went.

"Fuck," Magnus said as Alec covered his rock with paper.

"Shit," Alec said the next time as Magnus' scissors cut his paper.

The third time, they both made fists. Then, the fourth time, they both held out flat hands. The next time, both fists again.

"Okay this is fucking ridiculous," Magnus said.

"You can surrender any time," Alec answered.

"Never. I want you to know that you bit the shit out of those pillows every time you sleep here in the future," he shot back.

They went one last time, and Alec was sure he nearly woke the whole house with his cry of "Fucking hell!" when Magnus' flat hand covered his fist. Magnus, meanwhile, clapped a hand over his mouth and smiled evilly. He deftly maneuvered so that he'd pinned Alec face down beneath him. He reached under Alec's hips, pulling them up so that Alec's ass was in the air, and all of a sudden Alec felt Magnus' talented tongue swipe over his ass. He bit down on the remaining pillow to stifle his scream.

Magnus didn't rim him for very long. It turns out, he was simply using those few seconds for lubing Alec up himself instead of searching for the bottle in the dresser. Alec felt him lean up and position himself. He didn't open Alec up first, but sometimes Alec liked it like this. He liked being stretched by Magnus as he inched in slowly but firmly, filling him up. Magnus went slow at first, but when he was about halfway in, he yanked Alec's hips backwards, causing a moan of half-pain half-pleasure to erupt from the pillow.

He thrust hard, but still relatively slow, allowing Alec to feel every single glorious inch. He hadn't been kidding when he'd said they'd defile this bed. Alec was sure he'd remember this every single time he came home. Just the thought of sleeping here again and knowing they'd dirtied it up finally made him start bucking his hips back onto Magnus. He leaned up, pressing his back to Magnus' chest. Magnus' arms came up, slipping around his shoulders and chest and locking him in place. His thrusts became shallow but quicker, not coming out more than an inch before sinking back in. Every now and then he'd bury himself deep and roll his hips just so, making Alec whine pitifully.

"Fuck," he cried out as Magnus sucked on his neck, his vice-like grip feeling so safe and possessive at the same time. He knew Magnus was a little bit of the jealous type, and he had to admit it sometimes had its advantages. Whereas Magnus liked to be told what to do in bed, Alec liked to be _taken. Possessed._ And Magnus was so, so good at that. They could be as dirty as they wanted to be, but that element of Magnus latching onto him like someone might come and snatch Alec right off his cock at any second made the moment more about the fact that it was _them_, and they loved each other and there was no one else in the world. Whether they were fucking like animals or making love for hours, when Magnus was inside him it was all the same. He belonged to this amazing man, and it felt fucking incredible.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but sunlight was bleeding through the curtains when his sweaty body finally collapsed onto the bed and he let out a cry of ecstasy, Magnus falling on top of him. They were both soaked, sated, and panting.

"Shit," Alec gasped out between breaths. "Wow."

"I told…you. I…never surrender" Magnus panted.

"Noted." Alec lay there, trying to catch his breath for a few more minutes. When he felt like he could move again, he lifted his head with great effort and looked at the clock on his bedside table. It read 5:48. He flopped his head back onto the pillow. "Magnus?" he mumbled against the fabric.

"Mmph."

"We have a plane to catch in, like, an hour and a half."

"Nn-nngh."

"Yup." Alec let out the greatest heaving sigh he'd ever uttered in his life, and attempted to extricate himself from Magnus' grasp. He gently pushed and Magnus flopped to the side, sliding out of him and mumbling a moan. He threw an arm across his face almost immediately. Alec made to slide out of bed when Magnus' other arm shot out with surprising speed and latched on to Alec's wrist. He looked back.

Magnus peeked at him from underneath his arm, the most adorable smile playing at his lips, his exhausted face breaking into a grin. "Love you," he said. Alec leaned back down and tackled him with a kiss before hauling them both up, with the amount of protest one might expect from a toddler, whining and everything.

Alec wasn't sure how they got dressed, downstairs, in the car, to the airport, through the airport, and on the plane. It was all kind of a blur and frankly, he was still half asleep. He'd chosen to ignore the knowing looks Hodge had shot at both of their exhausted demeanors when he was loading their luggage into the car. It was blatantly clear that they hadn't slept, yet Hodge had brought them home from Cherry Bomb around 2:30. He tried not to be embarrassed at the fact that Hodge seemed to know exactly what had kept him up. He'd practically raised all three of the Lightwood children, and lord knows he kept secrets for Isabelle and Jace both, since high school. It was only fair. Knowing him, he was probably just glad Alec was finally getting in on the fun of sneaking around the parents, even though he was in his 20s already. Better late than never.

Now, he looked to his left and smiled. Magnus had started snoring the minute his ass hit the seat, his smug smile still in place. Alec fought between the urge to smack him or roll his eyes. He settled for placing a kiss to Magnus' temple, then arranged himself in the chair for an eight hour nap, knowing he'd wake up in London.

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><p><strong>So, was it worth the extra day? I hope so. Also, all you guys are so pissed at Amy and you hate her, which is TOTALLY understandable and warranted. She's bad news, yeah. However, she's nothing compared to her accomplice. Just you wait. <strong>

**Tell me what you thought! I love you all! :)**


	6. It's Inherently You

**Hey yall! Okay so I'm putting this up today to make up for being a day late last week, so love me? Lol. First night in London :D**

**Beta'd by valiantmongoose, who is the sunshine of the earth. **

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><p><strong>Chapter song: Do You Wanna by The Kooks (Understandably, there will be lots of British based music in the next several chapters ;) )<strong>

Heathrow airport had nothing on LAX or La Guardia in terms of swarming hordes of people, but it was no less vast and sweeping in scale. It did have a way, Alec thought, of making you feel immediately 'Londonized'. It had a certain aura about it that, even though he'd never actually been to London—or much of England, for that matter—he could feel that it had the essence of the city in its architecture. It was sleek and city-like, without being overly cold. It had an appeal all its own.

"You want to go to the hotel or are you content to stare at the terminal for the duration of the trip?" Magnus quipped with a smirk. Alec dropped his eyes back down from the colorful lights on the ceiling to glare at him. Magnus just laughed. "Come on. Let's get to the hotel so we can sleep some _more_."

It was true, they'd both slept the entire 8 hours and 27 minutes they'd been in the air. The funny and slightly frustrating thing was that Magnus woke up from the nap looking just as fabulous as he ever did. His hair was mussed, but in a stylish way. His shirt was barely wrinkled, and he only pulled out a compact mirror and refreshed his eyeliner a bit before looking utterly runway ready. Alec, on the other hand, looked like he'd been sleeping in a barn for about 3 days. Magnus had given him the extra shirt from his carry on to change into, so at least he looked a little better than he had when he'd first woken up. Still, he couldn't get the patch of hair in the back of his head to stay down, and after 20 minutes of trying he gave up.

"I want to get there and take a shower, that's for sure, but I don't want to stay cooped up in the room all the time," Alec said. He was rather excited to see London, and more for Magnus to show it to him.

"You sure? I think we could find a few ways to entertain ourselves," Magnus cooed under his breath, brushing up against Alec's shoulder as they walked through the terminal and out to the limo waiting for them. Alec blushed.

"Well…I guess we can entertain ourselves in the shower," he mumbled, biting his lip to hold back a smile. "But after that I want to go exploring. We've only got a little while before you'll start doing shows and I'll be bored all day and night."

"Aww, poor baby," Magnus teased, running a hand over Alec's cheek before Alec swatted it away.

"You're the one who asked me to come, so you could show me things," he reminded Magnus. "I've been looking forward to this since Valentine's Day, you know."

"My lord, Alexander Lightwood. Are you turning into a sap on me?"

"If you're only going to tease me for the entire time we're here, I might as well turn right around and book a flight home," Alec threatened, slowing down to turn around but knowing Magnus would catch his wrist only a few seconds later. He wouldn't really leave him.

"Okay, okay," Magnus relented, still laughing a little. "Sorry. I'm excited too, but I guess I'm just nervous is all. Not only have I not been here in forever, I'm letting you into a part of me that not even Camille knows much about. I don't mean to be melodramatic, but it feels like baring my soul, and it's a little scary okay? Forgive me if I deflect with humor and teasing."

"I know. And I'm honored, I really am. But you've got to trust me. You trusted me enough to ask me to come; now you've got to suck it up and follow through."

"Yes, dear," Magnus said, not able to resist teasing one last time. "I'll be cool, I promise. No drama. Okay…not a _ton_ of drama. Good?"

"Mmmhm," Alec said. He and Magnus slid into the back seat of the limo while the driver loaded their bags into the back. When they were behind the blacked out windows, Alec didn't hold back. He leaned over and planted his lips on Magnus' without hesitation, and felt Magnus smile into the kiss. When he pulled back, Magnus' face was flushed and Alec felt a hint of smugness. Magnus reached down and entwined their hands as the driver got inside and they sped out of the loading area and into the bustling streets of London.

Alec watched out the window of the right side—which put him next to oncoming traffic, making him feel decidedly odd—and marveled at the grand and beautiful scenery of the city. Sure, New York had its amazing skyscrapers and innovative architecture but Alec, someone who was an admitted history fan, appreciated the centuries old facades far more than any of the hard and flat lines of Manhattan. It was all so beautiful. What's more, he immediately associated it with Magnus. He'd been doing that in his mind for months now, but seeing it in person solidified the comparison. This is where Magnus grew up, the places and people that shaped him were flying by outside the windows, and Alec couldn't wait to know them all. As he'd done with the airport, he made London a metaphor for Magnus in his mind. Magnus was stylish, yet grounded. Creative, smooth, and suave. But he had an old soul—there was that something about him that always seemed regal and grounded in another era. Magnus was timeless, like this city.

"I wish your eyes did that when they looked at me," Magnus said quietly.

"What?" Alec asked, startled out of his gazing. He turned to face Magnus, taking in his smooth features and kind smile, his softened eyes. He almost let out a sigh.

"Okay. I take it back," Magnus said, and smiled wider. "I love you."

"Love you," Alec answered, the corners of his mouth pulling up.

When Alec looked back out the window, they had just pulled up in front of their hotel. Alec, being a Lightwood and having been raised basically in luxury, had been to many fine hotels in his life. He could imagine what the Ritz in London would look like. Isabelle had stayed here numerous times, even. However, he couldn't shake that thing he was doing with every new sight he saw here: he immediately associated it with Magnus. He found things about the façade that reminded him of the man next to him. The architectural smoothness and clean lines of brick mirrored the finely sculpted lines of Magnus' cheekbones and nose. The towering height of the building compared to the lofty way Magnus usually held his chin, as if presenting himself to the world. The way the sun filtered through the famous London fog and caressed the spires atop the edifice reminded him of gazing at the way those rays sometimes fell over Magnus' face through the curtains of the bedroom in the wee hours of the morning. To put it simply, it was beautiful.

"You know, when I was younger I would pass by here and wonder what it looked like on the inside. I thought, it must be fucking grand. Everyone who mattered stayed here. The Beatles, The Stones. It's like a higher class Roosevelt Hotel," Magnus chuckled.

"You mean you never came here after you got your inheritance? Just to see it?"

"I told you. When I left, I refused to come back here. I started a new life in New York and never looked back. This is that full-circle bullshit people always talk about. I mean, I know I'll enjoy being here, and I _want_ to be here with _you_, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm copping out somehow. That I'm…going back on a promise I made to myself. Because I _am._" Magnus was looking down at their entwined hands, and Alec squeezed in response.

"Look out there," Alec told him, nodding his head and gesturing out Magnus' side of the car to the sidewalk on the far side of the street, where already a line of teenage girls where clicking their cameras and holding copies of Rolling Stone with Magnus' face splashed across the cover. They weren't screaming yet, as they couldn't be sure that it was their idol in the car, but they were poised and ready. "Does that look anything like copping out to you?" Alec asked.

Magnus just laughed. "It just looks surreal, actually. And a little creepy," he added with a small grimace. But he smiled at Alec then, looking thoughtful. "I guess I could get used to it. It's just…London is such this…_separate_ place in my head. A place I left to get away from unpleasant memories, or pleasant ones that are made unpleasant by the mere fact that they are nothing _more_ than memories. It's weird to think that London went on without me after I left. In my head, it was always dead."

He gazed out the window at the fans once again, but the moment was effectively ended by the doorman finally opening the door, indicating their luggage had been unloaded and was making its way up to a penthouse on the top floor. Alec slid out first, and the screams erupted from the other side of the street. However, Alec kept thinking in his head that it was only because they knew who was coming out after him. He was proven right when Magnus stepped out, his head popping up above the roof of the car and finally visible to the opposite side of the street. The sound was deafening. There must have been 200 people on the sidewalk. Magnus waved and they only got louder. Alec just chuckled and felt Magnus' hand slide into his. They turned and followed the concierge inside.

"They're already unloading your bags in your room, sir," the short, gray-haired man said to Magnus. Alec bit his lip to fight back a smile as he caught Magnus trying not to look around at the grand lobby. He was doing a good job of acting nonchalant for someone who'd wished to be in here since he was a kid. Alec knew he'd let loose as soon as they were alone, though. "The elevator is right this way, and here is your key card. Swipe it on the left and it will take you to your room."

"Thanks," Magnus said cordially as he and Alec stepped into the elevator, followed by the driver and the two security guards that were traveling with them for the duration of the trip. One of the guards pressed a number on the panel which would take them to their own floor, while Magnus swiped the card. The elevator shot up into the air with a smooth ascent, bringing them to the fourth floor within seconds.

"I'll have my cell on me at all times, Mr. Bane. If there's anything at all, don't hesitate," the shorter security guard told them. "And Mr. Kyle called, said he'd be in the lobby to meet you on Tuesday."

"Thanks, Andy. Have a good night!" Magnus answered as the three made their way down the hall, leaving him and Alec alone as the elevator doors slipped shut, revealing a mirrored image of them on the back side. Like flipping a switch, Magnus attacked Alec, shoving him against the back wall of the elevator. Alec let out a quick chuckle before it morphed into a sigh as Magnus rutted against him. He looked into the mirrored surface of the door, watching the muscles in Magnus' back under his t-shirt flex as his neck was devoured by an expert tongue and teeth.

"Magnus…" he moaned out loud. There was only an answering groan somewhere under his jaw that vibrated through his neck and down into his groin. He instinctively hitched his right leg up over Magnus' hip, which Magnus answered by reaching down and pulling him all the way up, so he could wrap both legs around that slim waist. The change in position caused their groins to slot together at a different angle, providing the sweetest friction. For Christ sake, it had only been about 12 hours since the last time, but apparently they were insatiable. Alec didn't know if it was the fact that they were in a different place, or because they were still catching up on lost time from when Magnus was gone, but all this constant fucking was sure wearing him out. However, he really couldn't be bothered to give a damn about fatigue right now.

"You know," Magnus breathed against his neck, "there's probably like five security cameras in this elevator alone." His tone was playful and intrigued. It would be, Alec thought. He's such an exhibitionist. Alec should probably be alarmed, but again, he couldn't be bothered to care.

Soon, they reached the top floor, where theirs and two other penthouses were located. Magnus didn't even hesitate. He carried Alec out of the elevator and down the hall about ten feet to their door. Reluctantly, Alec untangled his legs and slid to the floor, but their lips locked almost immediately. Alec felt Magnus' hands pulling at his cardigan, nearly ripping the buttons out of the holes, untucking the shirt underneath from his jeans. Alec's hands slid into the v-neck of Magnus' t-shirt of their own accord, gripping at his chest and caressing the caramel skin. His index finger grazed over a hardened nipple, causing Magnus to gasp and rut against him again, pressing them against the door. Alec, apparently the only one of them with any spatial sense left—though it was fading rather rapidly—reached into Magnus' front pocket and retrieved the key card again. He fumbled around behind him and to the side, feeling blindly for the place where he could swipe it to finally allow them inside.

When he found it, Magnus' hand was already poised on the door handle, and as soon as the little beep sounded, they nearly fell through the door, hands still flailing and gripping at fabric and pulling at arms and fingers and hair. They both laughed a little at the silliness, but it died quickly in favor of sighs and shivers. That is, until they heard something that wasn't either of _them_.

"Ah…Mr. Bane?" said a tentative voice that held the teeniest bit of amusement. Alec, being the more sexually conservative of the two, halted in his tracks, unlocking his lips from Magnus' and turning his head to the left. The bellhop that had unloaded their bags downstairs was apparently just finishing setting them up here. Alec felt his face go nearly the crimson of the silk pillows on the couch behind him.

"Yes?" came the answer from next to Alec, and it sounded almost exasperated. "Oh, uh. Sorry." Magnus at least had the decency to blush a little. He let go of his hold on Alec's belt buckle, and brushed himself off as Alec did the same. The other man was still trying to hold back a smirk.

"It's quite alright, sirs, I assure you. I simply wished to tell you that your bags are all located in the hall closet next to the veranda, and there is fresh champagne in the master bedroom. If that'll be all?"

"Yes, thank you," Magnus intoned, now sounding perfectly in control of himself, while Alec still stood there feeling a little mortified and unsure if his voice would actually work if he tried it. Magnus reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bank notes that Alec had no idea what they were worth, and handed them to the man in uniform, who smiled and took them graciously.

"Have a good night, sirs," he said as he walked confidently out the door. Alec, who was still a little shocked and disheveled, looked over at Magnus. He had sucked his lips into his mouth and was biting down on them, looking like a mischievous teenager who was trying not to laugh in the face of a scolding. He then sauntered over to Alec, who stood stock still.

"So…shall we continue?" he asked as he slipped right up against Alec, and without warning, reached down to palm the erection that had only weakened a fraction in the face of their intrusion. Just like that, Alec let out a moan and was pulled back into the moment. Their lips crashed together again, and hands went flying to hems and hair once more.

Alec's grey cardigan hit the floor, along with the black button up that was underneath it. His belt was hanging open, and Magnus was ripping at the button and zipper on his jeans. Alec had successfully rid Magnus of his t-shirt, and was currently trying to shove down his skin-tight skinny jeans. All this while their lips stayed glued to some kind of skin, whether it was the other's lips, neck, or earlobes, and simultaneously trying to move to someplace else other than the foyer—though neither was sure where they were actually headed.

"Where's the bedroom?" Alec panted as he was shoved backwards, his now bare feet hitting high pile carpet.

"Don't care," Magnus answered against his temple. Alec almost questioned that, but instead he was shoved down onto the luxury rug in the grand sitting room, and he didn't care enough to protest. His elbow hit a gold edged coffee table, and his ass hit the floor just as Magnus had yanked his jeans and briefs to his knees. He kicked them off before Magnus scrambled on top of him, straddling his hips and grinding them together once more. Alec's back arched and his hands flew to Magnus' hips, feeling them roll and weave and reveling in their gracefulness. Somehow, Magnus had managed to peel off his own pants, and as he rutted against Alec he leaned over and pressed their chests together, and Alec's nose was buried in the hair at the side of his neck. He smelled like heaven, despite the fact that they'd just been on a plane for 8 hours.

Still leaned over, Magnus plunged two fingers into his own mouth, wetting them to the best of his ability as Alec writhed beneath him. Alec felt rather than watched Magnus reach behind him, and lube himself up. He instinctively knew when he let a finger slip in, because he felt Magnus' rhythm against him stutter and halt for a moment. It was the most erotic thing, knowing Magnus was pleasuring himself, preparing himself right here, right on top of Alec.

When he was ready, he leaned up to look at Alec. His pupils were lust-widened, sweat already forming on his forehead, and his bottom lip was caught between his teeth. He was honestly the most beautiful thing Alec had ever laid his eyes on. He reached back, keeping his gaze locked with Alec's, and lifted his hips, lining himself up. Alec felt Magnus' wet hand wrap around him, and almost whined as Magnus started to lower himself down. He watched as Magnus' eyes slipped shut, his teeth biting down harder, his brows scrunching together. It was fucking gorgeous. Alec fought with himself not to thrust up; he let Magnus go at his own pace, slow and purposeful. When he was settled fully in Alec's lap, his hands braced him either side of Alec's head on the rug. Alec just kept gazing up at him.

He began to move, faster than Alec anticipated. It seemed he wasn't the only one nearly trembling for release. He set a quick pace, and Alec bent his knees and planted his feet flat on the floor, giving him leverage to meet every one of Magnus' downward thrusts. It provided the optimum angle to sink deep inside, and Magnus let out a broken moan every time he came down. Alec couldn't take his eyes off him. Watching Magnus move above him, pleasuring himself while using Alec as a vessel…it was so fucking erotic.

Magnus was sitting up all the way now, but steadily he started leaning backwards. Alec anticipated—though he didn't know how—and pulled his knees together behind Magnus' back. He planted his hands on Magnus' hips, holding him steady, and one of Magnus' hands braced onto the edge of the coffee table next to them. He leaned back further and further, until finally he was lying against Alec's thighs, his back and head arching backwards to where Alec could barely see his face anymore. Magnus let go of the coffee table, and reached down with his hands to grip Alec's wrists, steadying himself. Alec kept thrusting up, and Magnus tilted his hips forward a bit. All of a sudden, he let out an almost animalistic scream, muffled only by the fact that his throat was stretched so far back. Alec rolled his hips up, trying to get as deep as possible, and angled so that he could hit Magnus' prostate whenever possible. He knew every time he did, because Magnus would cry out or whine, and it was beautiful.

Alec hadn't even touched Magnus' rock hard cock the entire time, but just like that, he was coming all over Alec's chest. His body was shaking above Alec, and clenching and writhing, and it pulled Alec right over the edge. His back arched inward as he came, his stomach muscles clenching tight and his fingers digging into Magnus' hips. Magnus' mouth came down on his shoulder and bit hard, and his hands on Alec's wrists ripped them away from his hips and threw them around his back, and Alec gripped tight, melding them together. Alec was almost in a half sit-up position, his stomach muscles quivering, but he didn't care. He just kept on trying to pull Magnus' body into his. Finally, they collapsed back down to the floor, panting heavily.

"So uh…I think I could use a shower now," Magnus breathed with a laugh, clearly sounding too exhausted to even attempt standing up and finding the bathroom at the moment.

"In a couple…hours…" Alec panted. "Wanna…stay right here…"

"Mmhmm."

"Love you."

"Love…" But it didn't make it all the way out. Magnus was sound asleep again, and Alec was only a half second behind him.

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><p><strong>Hot? Yes? No? Don't care? (If you don't care...not sure why you're reading this hehe)<strong>

**Alright, next chapter we are going strolling through the streets! Happy times! As always tell me what you thought, and I'll be forever grateful :) Love you all!**


	7. Teasing, Bagels, and Vintage Cars

**Hallo all! Welp, here we are in grand old London! Still at the Ritz, and still in a...sexy mood. If you like lemons, be sure to thank Emily, Ky, Grace, and Lindsey for voting to put this one in. If you don't like lemons, I guess you can just skip over it :) Special thank you to those ladies, also, for keeping me sane through the writing of this chapter. Love you. **

**This unbeta'd because I'm a shit and wait till the last minute as always. :/**

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: The Garden by Mirah (the beat is just really sexy…hehe)<strong>

They ended up sleeping, right there on the rug, well into the next morning. Luckily, no housekeeping had come by the time Alec groggily opened his eyes and tried to heave Magnus' dead weight off him. He shoved at his boyfriend's shoulders one last time, causing Magnus to topple over to the side and knock his head against the coffee table slightly. Alec sat up a little higher, concerned but trying to hold back a chuckle.

"Sorry," he laughed, still trying to work his eyes all the way open. "You okay?"

Even more asleep than Alec, Magnus slurred into the carpet, "If you let me sleep for the rest of the day, I'll forgive you this most indecent transgression."

"Not a chance. You have to show me around. Take me on the tour. 'On your left, a nostalgic recreation of your misspent youth, you'll love it!'" he quoted.

"Not that I can't appreciate your prolific proclivity for the dialogue of the great Brian Kinney, but you're quoting the wrong show. This side of the pond, Stuart Alan Jones is Babylon's reigning shag queen," said Magnus in the same sleep-slurred voice.

"You know, your vocabulary gets a lot more SAT-ish when you're half-asleep," Alec observed.

Magnus gave a caveman-like groan as a sarcastic response, and Alec laughed out loud. He clapped Magnus on the back, making him groan again in irritation.

"Come on. Or I'll start playing Hot Cross Buns on every key," he threatened, referring to the sleek baby grand piano that stood in the corner of the sitting room they'd slept in. Magnus had enough wherewithal to give a slightly alarmed look in Alec's direction.

"Fine. I'm up, as you can see," he said, leaning up enough for Alec to see that apparently Magnus had been having a good dream when he woke him up, or else it was a residual hard-on left over from the night before. Both were about equally likely.

"Would you like me to take care of that for you?" Alec teased.

Magnus contemplated for a moment, then rolled over completely and propped himself up on his elbows. "I'm not sure if I like you when you're twelve-year-old-level excited. You start taking over my teasing powers, and it creates a power shift that I'm not quite used to in this relationship."

"Your vocabulary this early in the morning is still freaking me out," Alec says.

"Yes. It's quite near the crack of dawn. Isn't that what they call noon these days?"

"What?" Alec gasped, looking over at the clock on the wall, which was adorned with two oak-carved owls. It was about ten minutes past 12. "Shit. I didn't mean to sleep this late. Come on! We've wasted half the day!" He hopped up and made his way around the coffee table in search of the master bathroom in this huge suite. He turned a corner, coming into what must be the largest bedroom. The bed was huge, boasting four ornately carved posts which supported an upholstered canopy. It looked like something King Richard would fuck in.

He stepped around it to the door next to the far corner, and found what he was looking for: bathroom that he could park both his and Magnus' cars in. There were two identical vanity tables on either side of the enormous Jacuzzi tub, each with large gilt framed mirrors and counter space that Alec was already getting ideas about. Soon, he had morning wood of his own, just picturing fucking Magnus on every surface of this elaborate bathroom. Off to the side of one vanity, there were double sinks and finally, a large shower enclosed with freestanding glass on three sides that was slightly frosted at the bottom, but faded into crystal clear at about waist level. There were six shower heads and an electronic control panel next to the door. The tile inside was black slate rock.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" came Magnus' voice right next to his ear as arms slid around his naked waist.

"That we've waited way too long to actually take the damn shower we needed _yesterday_?" Alec laughed, leaning back into Magnus' chest.

"I was thinking more along the lines of how much pressure that glass can take. How much do you weigh?" Magnus asked, nipping at Alec's ear and causing his already rock hard cock to jump into the air. Magnus pushed against him, and Alec's eyes slipped shut and he let out a low groan. Then, he felt a light slap on his ass and the pressure was gone. Magnus was punching in a few things on the touch pad next to the shower, and the three showerheads on the ceiling burst forth with already steaming water. Alec couldn't have ignored the lust in Magnus' eyes even if he tried. Which he didn't. Not at all.

He stepped underneath the spray next to Magnus, and was immediately yanked closer by two insistent hands on his ass. He smiled into the kiss that met his lips, but eventually gave in and let his mouth drop open to allow Magnus' tongue free reign to trace over his teeth and all around his own tongue. Magnus swirled his tongue around inside his mouth, tasting every angle, and making shivers run up Alec's spine every time he rolled it a certain way. He had a fucking _talented_ tongue, that was for sure.

As if reading his thoughts, Magnus pulled back and looked him in the eye with an unreadable but nonetheless lustful expression. Alec bit his lip in anticipation of what that look might be holding in store. Magnus pushed him backwards, closer to the glass wall of the shower, but turned Alec to face away from him at the last second. He slotted right up against him, running his hands down Alec's arms down to his wrists, bringing them up and placing Alec's hands against the glass on either side of his head, his cheek pressed against the heated and already fogging surface.

"Stay," he cooed into Alec's ear. Alec couldn't have moved if he tried. Magnus worked his knee in between Alec's legs, and he spread his feet apart further. Magnus' hands traced back to his shoulders, then down, down, down, caressing over the swell of his ass and digging his nails in lightly at the curve where his ass met his thighs. He felt, rather than heard, Magnus sliding down to his knees behind him. He sucked in a breath and moaned, because he knew where that tongue was going and oh, _god_…his knees started shaking in anticipation. Magnus had only rimmed him a few times in their entire relationship, but every time it was positively mind-blowing. Alec never knew that something like…_that_…could be so fucking amazing. Probably, it was really just Magnus that made it that way.

He felt palms spread him open, and he held his breath. The steamy water was still rolling down his spine, causing almost an overload of sensation. He anticipated Magnus, waited for that first tiny flick with the tip of his tongue, testing the waters, so to speak. There he was, spread wide open, and he could practically feel Magnus' breath. He waited, impatiently, and couldn't suppress a whine. Apparently, that's all Magnus was waiting for. In the next second, Magnus' entire mouth was on him, his tongue plunging inside.

"Jesus fuck!" Alec screeched. His nails made an eerie sound as they scraped across the glass when he clenched his hands into fists. Magnus moaned, his lips vibrating, causing another tremor to shoot up Alec's spine. Less than 30 seconds of Magnus' tongue on his hole and he was almost ready to explode. Every time that tongue swirled around and dipped in, going deep as possible each time, Alec let out a gasp, followed by a long, high whine of pleasure.

Magnus was gripping onto his ass cheeks with a little more force than necessary, but it only added to the sensation. Magnus was practically making out with his ass, and it was fucking glorious. Alec couldn't help it when his right hand slid off the glass and reached behind to tangle in Magnus' wet hair. Of course, touching Magnus' hair always causes extreme fervor to erupt, and all of a sudden he was spread wider and Magnus' tongue was fucking his hole like he was drinking the last bottle of water in the desert. Alec couldn't help pulling him in harder, even though he kind of worried about Magnus' suffocating. However, apparently no one was as good as Magnus at not choking during displays of his sexual prowess. He simply moaned against the sensitive bundle of nerves and Alec gasped and moaned again.

When his knees started shaking uncontrollably, and Magnus sensed the grip on his scalp was getting weaker due to impending release, he pried his mouth off Alec and got to his feet. Without hesitation, he lined himself up, then grabbed Alec's wrists and forced them against the glass again. Alec anticipated that he would simply thrust all the way in in one go, but he was mistaken. Magnus was the greatest at teasing. Alec was on the brink of coming, and he was certain if Magnus thrust in he would shoot off in seconds. Instead, Magnus started to push in almost excruciatingly slowly. Alec felt the slow burn of being stretched centimeter by centimeter and his knees just kept threatening to buckle. He either wanted Magnus to shove in and make him come or pull out and end the torture.

Every few seconds, Alec would think to himself that Magnus was almost all the way inside, but it just _kept going_. That slow intrusion seemed to last for hours, and Alec was panting and biting his lip and clenching his fists against the glass, but Magnus' teeth sinking into his shoulder in warning kept him from pushing his hips backward.

Finally, he felt Magnus' hips against his own, his entire body pressed against Alec's back, and Alec let his head sink back onto Magnus' shoulder.

"Hold on," Magnus whispered into his ear, and Alec clenched his fists tighter, Magnus' grip on his wrists tightening a fraction. He braced his knees against the glass and took a breath. Then, Magnus pulled out a little bit faster than he'd gone in, waited a full ten seconds, and slammed in. Alec screamed, and his knees nearly buckled, but Magnus held him up by the wrists and by the force of his thrusts slamming Alec against the glass. He hadn't been kidding about testing the amount of pressure it could take. If it wasn't inch-thick plexi-glass, it probably would have shattered by now. Magnus was pounding into Alec with so much force, Alec could feel the bruises forming on his hips where they were hitting the glass. His cock was pressed against the smooth surface, the friction nearly unbearable.

It only took about five thrusts before Alec painted the glass door of the shower with come, which was quickly washed away by the steaming water. Through his trembling, he was sort of surprised to feel it when Magnus shot off inside him not two seconds later. He slowed down, and fucked Alec through the aftershocks, causing them both to go weak. He pulled out slowly and they both collapsed onto the stone bench set into the far wall.

Alec lolled his head to the side to look at Magnus, and scoffed.

"If I could move right now, I'd smack that look right off your face," he said, his voice a little muffled by the steam surrounding them.

Magnus just chuckled, smug smile still firmly in place, his head leaning back against the wall. "Mmmhmm. And you didn't just come in rivers," he slurred sarcastically. Alec just snorted.

"What is with you and teasing? Honestly I'm surprised I haven't punched you into next week by now," he uttered, though he knew Magnus would know he was at least half-kidding.

"You know you love it. You've put up with it for a year now. I don't see any reason you'd stop." Alec's breath stopped short. A _year_? Had it really been that long?

He thought back…He'd met Magnus while he was home for a month at the end of last summer, and here they were again, at the end of August a year later. His mind was a little rocked.

"I can't believe it's been that long," he said quietly, still thinking about it.

"It hasn't. Not technically. It's next week." He rolled his head to the side to look at Alec through the fog. "Next Tuesday marks one year exactly since you came to my apartment and we played twenty questions and I fell as fucking hard and fast as anyone ever could." He smiled lazily but sincerely.

"You remember the exact day? That's ridiculous," Alec laughed.

"I'm the girly girl in this relationship, remember?" Magnus said.

"I believe my ass would say otherwise."

"Mmm," Magnus chuckled, smiling wider.

"Aaaaand we're back to teasing," Alec sighed.

"Full circle," Magnus replied. He reached up and slung his arm over Alec's shoulders, bringing his head down to rest across Magnus' lap. He brushed back the wet strands while Alec gazed up into his eyes. "We have to be careful. The first year is over, now we have to work at not being boring."

"Once again, my ass seems to think 'boring' is not really in the spectrum of vocabulary to describe the last half hour," Alec countered, smirking up at him. "I think we're good for now."

**Song for this section: Blackout by Pixie Lott featuring Ke$ha (playing on the radio in the car)**

When they finally emerged, a little pruny from staying so long under the hot water, Magnus ventured to the closet to find a lot of their clothes had been hung up before they'd come up to the room last night. He smirked to himself at the thought of the bellhop, and their slightly disheveled state when they appeared in the room. He would always find it infinitely adorable that Alec paled to a sickly white every time there was a possibility that they would be caught in the act. There were those precious rare times that he was too horny to care, but the fact that they were rare made them even better. He enjoyed both sides of Alec, but he thought he would always enjoy shy Alec just a little bit more.

"Uhh…Magnus?" came a tentative voice from the sitting room. Alec had gone through to the kitchen in search of some breakfast—never mind that it was nearly one in the afternoon.

_Speaking of shy Alec,_ he thought to himself with a snicker. He knew that voice. He stepped out of the bedroom into the hallway, and out to the sitting room. He licked his lips at the sight of the rug, thinking back to the night before. They really were a couple of teenage horndogs sometimes. "Yes, darling?" he chirruped happily. He leaned against the wall, stark naked and still a little dewy from the shower.

"Jesus, Magnus. Put a towel on or something…" Alec fretted. His face was that adorable rosy embarrassed color again.

"What's the matter?" Magnus asked.

"This wasn't here this morning," Alec said gravely, as if that was all the explanation needed. He pointed to a basket of fresh bagels on the counter, and two crystal flute glasses full of orange juice next to a bowl of what looked like strawberry cream cheese.

"Oh! Yummy!" Magnus clapped, walking through the room in all his nude glory and taking a sip from one of the glasses.

"_Magnus!_" Alec chastised. Magnus whipped his head around with an incredulous look. He knew full well what Alec was distressed about, but he wanted to watch him unravel. It was delicious. He bit his tongue and simply raised his eyebrows in question.

"What? Want one? They're fresh," he said with a smile, holding out a bagel to Alec.

Alec threw his hands up in the air and turned in a circle, and Magnus watched with piqued satisfaction as the movement caused the towel around his waist to loosen and slip down a fraction.

"Magnus," he said again, with obvious effort put into the patience of the tone, as if Magnus was a small child who needed things explained in small words. He kept fighting back his snickers. "Those weren't here when we woke up." He enunciated his words carefully. "We didn't see anyone bring them in, and I discovered them _after_ we got out of the shower just now."

"Splendid deduction, Sherlock!" Magnus chirped, putting extra emphasis on his accent, making it more pronounced than normal. He noted with gratification that Alec's eyes flashed with a spark of lust for a second before he schooled his features. So Alec had a thing for accents? Wait till Magnus started telling him to drop the towel and bend over in French. The possibilities were endless. Magnus mentally scolded himself; they'd just done it ten minutes ago for god's sake!

"Magnus. Do you know what we were _doing_ in the shower?" Alec whined.

"I seem to recall, yes," Magnus answered calmly, ripping off a bite of bagel and dunking it in the cream cheese.

"They probably _heard_ us!" Alec cringed, raising his voice slightly. Magnus could practically see the tendons in his neck flexing. It was lovely.

"Contrary, dear. _I_ wasn't making much noise. My mouth was occupied most of the time, if I remember correctly," he reminded Alec, taking another bite. This only made Alec's face grow redder.

"_Magnus!_" He put his hands in his hair.

"Darling will you please calm down?" Magnus sighed, finally taking pity on him. "Honestly. They're used to that kind of thing. They've probably walked in on rockstar orgies before." He took a demure sip of orange juice.

"Oh my god Magnus," Alec whined, covering his face with his hands. It was honestly the most adorable thing ever.

Magnus finally relented and walked over, sliding his arms around Alec's waist and pulling him close in a sweet embrace. He placed a kiss on his temple, nuzzling his nose into Alec's drying hair. He smelled like heaven. Every single day, Magnus Bane was more and more convinced that he would never be able to live without that smell next to him every morning for the rest of his life.

When Alec had calmed down and coaxed Magnus into some actual clothes, they made their way down to the lobby, where they found Andy the security guard reading a paper and trying to make sense of the English news.

"Hey, do you think we could just entertain ourselves today?" Magnus asked him when he started getting up, presumably to accompany them. His face contorted into an unreadable expression for a moment, but there was underlying amusement. "What?" Magnus said.

"Well, judging from the look on the poor bellhop's face a while ago, I take it you've entertained yourselves a bit already this morning," he said slowly.

Alec choked, and started a coughing fit trying to catch his breath. Magnus hit his back gently a few times, but couldn't help cracking up. He loved Andy, really. They'd gotten to know each other quite well over the summer on tour, and many a night after shows was spent just chatting about how much he missed Alec and the exact color of Alec's eyes and his voice when they were on the phone. He suspected Andy didn't _really_ want to hear about it, but he was always there to listen. And of course, they covered Alec's incredible shyness about all things sexual.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Magnus asked with overdone concern. Alec just glared at him, and he couldn't help laughing even more. Andy was smirking about as much as Magnus had ever seen him smirk. After all, he had to keep up his tough guy persona.

"What did you have in mind?" Andy asked.

"Could you see if the front desk could rent us a car for the day? I kind of just want to drive around town a bit."

"I can check. I'm sure it'll be no problem, though," Andy replied, setting down his paper and making his way to the front desk to ask for the concierge.

"Something older than me!" Magnus called to him hopefully.

"Magnus. Can you please spare my sanity today? Please?" Alec whispered under his breath, finally calmed down from coughing.

"Sorry. You know I love you." He reached down and entwined their hands. His heart swelled at the fact that even though he'd just had a laugh at the expense of Alec's shyness, his boyfriend didn't flinch at all at the fact that they were showing so much affection in a crowded lobby of a luxury hotel. People were bustling around them, all used to looking down their noses anyway, and here Alec was, standing right up against him, holding his hand and gazing into his eyes without a care given to their surroundings. Magnus had to admit, he'd come a hell of a long way in a year.

It turned out that Andy could work miracles. When he came back, he told them to go to the side entrance, and everything was taken care of. He said if they needed anything they should call, and asked how long they'd be out. Magnus said they'd probably just drive around town, and not really go anywhere tonight. After all, there were a couple of weeks to kill before he had to start doing shows, so he wanted to assimilate Alec into London slowly.

They made their way around to the side entrance, coming out the door under a large awning, a little smaller than the entrance in the front. There, parked and idling in the alley, was a 1972 Opel GT. The concierge smiled as he handed Magnus the key, and Magnus watched Alec drooling out of the corner of his eye.

"Enjoy, Mr. Bane, Mr. Lightwood. It's yours for the rest of the night," he said cordially. He shook Magnus' hand and strolled back inside.

"I love my life," Magnus sighed.

He and Alec stepped off the curb, and Alec made his way to the right side, opening the door and not paying much attention to anything but the sleek lines of the vintage sports car. Magnus cleared his throat, and Alec gave him a questioning look. "You planning on driving?" Magnus asked.

Alec looked at him for a second, then back at the car. He was holding open the right-side door, ready to climb in, which would put him behind the wheel.

"Oh…" He hesitated. "You don't think I could drive it?" he challenged. _Such a guy, sometimes_, Magnus thought with fondness.

"Well, for one, you don't have a license to drive here, and two…no. I think you'd feel just as bizarre as you did in the limo on the way over here last night," he chuckled. Alec just gave him a scowl, but moved away from the door and around to the other side.

"What makes you so sure you'll be perfect at driving on the opposite side of the road?" Alec challenged when they both slid into their seats and slammed the doors. The inside was sleek black leather and the gearshift was made of ivory. It was a gorgeous machine. Magnus wasn't one for classic cars usually, but there was something about vintage British autos that made him nostalgic for other days. He tried not to think about _who_ he shared rides in an old Jaguar with when he was 16 and naive, because that just dampened the memory. _He_ was gone. Never coming back into Magnus' life. He was happy that he was getting to make new memories with Alec, so he shoved down the old memories that popped into his mind.

"Have you forgotten that I _learned_ to drive over here?" he quipped in answer to Alec's question. Alec remained stoically quiet. Magnus started the engine, making it whine and purr and rumble to life, and pulled out of the alley onto the busy street at a speed that was probably unnecessary, but warranted when you were in such a fine sports car.

"Magnus!" Alec yelped when they swerved to merge into the traffic.

"Would you chill? It's the other way around that's bizarre to _me_," Magnus scolded when Alec started gripping the dash and watching the cars fly by next to them on the "wrong" side of the road. He whipped his head around at Magnus then.

"Did you seriously just tell me to _chill_, Magnus?" He gave him an incredulous look. It was filled with so much diva—a rare sight in Alexander Lightwood—that Magnus couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh god. We're turning into that cliché snippy gay couple today," he lamented with mock sadness.

"Don't change the subject, Magnus," Alec retorted.

"Really. All you need to do is put your hand on your hip and roll your eyes and the image would be complete!" Magnus said happily. As it happens, Alec did roll his eyes. Magnus smiled over at him, though, and the anger was gone. They both knew it was just coupley bickering.

"So," Alec began after a bit of silence, "Where are you taking me today?"

"I'm not really in the mood for loads of people," Magnus said, contemplating. "I kind of just wanted to drive around and get a feel for things again. It's been a while, and a lot has changed." He slowed down a tiny bit as he approached an intersection with a roundabout. Normally, as a teenager, he would have gone through it at an unnecessarily hasty speed, but he was aware that it was still freaking Alec out. He looked to the side to make sure no cars were coming, and slid into the turn.

"So weird," Alec muttered. Magnus just chuckled.

"I guess we could check out…Molly's," he said. Yes. This was about getting rid of old memories and making new ones with Alec. He'd started to think to himself that the more places he took Alec that had previously only belonged to him and Da—no, he wouldn't even think the name. The more places he took Alec to that they used to share, the more he could shut out those memories in favor of the new ones.

"What's that?" Alec asked, an interested tone creeping in, making him sound like a child getting to go to a fun museum for the first time.

"Best place in town for an ale, if it's still standing," Magnus answered. It's true, most people didn't know about it, but Molly's had been his haven a lot of times when he was younger. No matter who introduced it to him first. Chances were, _he_ didn't even go there anymore. It had turned into something that was _theirs_. Whatever. Magnus was about to make it his and Alec's. And Alec simply _had_ to meet old Malcolm. He smiled just at the thought.

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><p><strong>Okay so...obviously this chapter has stopped at an odd place. I wanted to include Molly's (which I hope you'll love :D) but it was getting way too long. Therefore, I'm going to start on the next chapter tomorrow, and I'll put it up whenever it's finished (implying that it will most likely be before next Wednesday, so yay!) <strong>

**As always, let me know what you thought. Your kind words get me through the day sometimes. I re-read them a lot. :)**


	8. Molly's

***GASP* What's this? A chapter update and it's not Wednesday? It's true. I told you to expect an update early, and so here it is :) Because I love you, and also because I spilled a few details on twitter and Ky didn't want to see them, so I'm trying to appease her wrath with happy cuteness lol**

**Beta'd by the wonderful valiantmongoose. **

*****For those who don't keep up with the glamourverse tumblr, you may not really recognize who Magnus is with in the flashback. It's that mysterious *D* fellow, which we will meet formally later. Yes, the same fellow Amy's been in cahoots with. Those who follow the tumblr, you should know this scumbag by now haha. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: House of the Rising Sun by Bob Dylan (You'll find Malcolm is quite the Dylan fan)<strong>

_"Are you sure about this?" Magnus asked, more than a little apprehensive. This wasn't the kind of place you wore a glittery belt to, and Magnus didn't think he'd fit in very easily. The façade was dark and dingy, and the name of the place wasn't even displayed anywhere on the outside. It was one of those places that you either know of or you don't. _

_ "Relax," came the stern voice at his shoulder. "Don't be such a twat. They'll love you. They don't get much novelty in this place."_

_ "So I'm a novelty now?" Magnus said with a twinge of anger. The look he got in return for the smart ass remark made him avert his eyes. He couldn't help it. He liked to push the boundaries sometimes. However, that look never failed to put him back in his place. _

_ "Of course you are," he continued, opening the door and sliding inside, Magnus following close behind like a child who was afraid of being lost in a mall. "Why should that be a bad thing? And you know you do it on purpose. You like the attention."_

_ Magnus couldn't argue with that. _

_ "Relax, beautiful," he repeated. "You're mine, and they'll love you."_

'You're mine.'_ Those words, though he'd heard them so many times, in bed and otherwise, always stirred up conflicting emotions. On the one hand, they made him feel loved and wanted, on the other he felt like he was…not his own person. _

_ When they entered the smoky room, he could hear the faint sounds of a scratchy jukebox whining out an old familiar song. He saw only a few tables, and a few booths nestled into the walls. The bar stood on the left wall, and they headed toward it. Magnus let his eyes gaze around even as he followed obediently, and his mind got that unsteady feeling again. He was right about the glittery belt not being welcome. There were only older men there, well past middle age. They sat in dark booths smoking cigarettes, their hands resting on glasses of dark ale that made Magnus want to turn up his nose. There were only about 6 or 7 customers in the establishment at the moment, but it seemed somehow crowded. That was probably because he felt their eyes on him almost instantly. _

_ When they approached the bar, he ripped his eyes away from their surroundings at the sound of his name. _

_ "This is Magnus." A gesture toward him, and Magnus looked up to meet the gray eyes of a man who stood nearly a foot shorter than the both of them, his white hair plastered to his head with sweat that Magnus suspected had developed from the manual labor of lugging up the crate of beer bottles he'd let rest loudly on the bar before offering his thick, calloused and wrinkled hand out to Magnus. _

_ "'Lo there, young chap!" he said cordially as he shook Magnus' hand firmly. "Malcolm Middleton. Glad to meet 'ya!" When he dropped Magnus' hand, he picked up a rag that probably used to be white and started wiping down a space in front of them, gesturing to the stools where they should have a seat. _

_ Magnus couldn't help but smile. "Pleasure, sir," he returned, forced into formal manners by the situation. He was surrounded by men three times his age, and his mother had ingrained it into him. Malcolm kept speaking as they took a seat. _

_ "This one seems a bit on the whippersnapper side for you, old boy, don't you suppose?" _

_ "Are you implying that I'm past my prime?" His voice was that usual haughty tone that Magnus had come to know, but it held a slight twinge of amusement. It was clear he and the old man had a camaraderie. _

_ "Not at all, chap. Just stating facts, you know. What'll it be?" Malcolm asked, looking to Magnus. _

_ Before he could speak, though, "He'll have a light one. Got to keep that tight figure, you know." He raised an eyebrow at Magnus, daring him to question the assessment, but Magnus knew better. He simply smiled at Malcolm and nodded, and the old man pulled out a glass and filled it with a light caramel colored beer from a tap. He slid it across to Magnus, who took a tentative sip. It trickled over his tongue and down his throat like a smooth melody. He let his eyes slip shut for a moment, forgetting everything else, until he heard a chuckle._

_ "It's nice to get that reaction to the lighter stuff," Malcolm said. "Jake didn't think it was up to snuff. Apparently it's a young crowd thing, eh?" _

_ "It's great, sir," Magnus replied, taking another hearty sip. Malcolm then handed another glass onto the bar, this one filled with ale so dark and thick it looked like black coffee. Magnus' mouth watered for it for a moment, but the glass he held in his hand was still half full, and it wasn't bad. He kept his mouth shut and let his eyes wander the room again. The men he'd noticed at first were no longer paying him any mind. He'd half expected them to be sneering in his direction, since the way that strong arm was curled around him possessively left little to the imagination and pretty much stomped out the idea that he and Magnus were simply friends. However, all that left his mind when his eyes alighted on the far corner, underneath a dim green lamp. Almost hidden from sight and squeezed between a dilapidated amplifier and a case for a standing bass was a beautiful black acoustic guitar, just settled there against the wall. _

_ His scrutiny and the light in his eyes did not go unnoticed. "Oh, great. Malcolm, I should have warned you to hide the goods. He's a little obsessed." The tone was a teeny bit annoyed, but understanding. _

_ "You play, chap?" Malcolm asked. _

_ "Some," said Magnus quietly. _

_ "Rubbish. This one's not living if there's not music involved, eh beautiful?"_

_ Magnus just smiled, unable to hold back his expression at the truth of the statement. _

_ "Well go on, young chap! I'm sure Jake wouldn't mind someone else pluckin' the strings a bit. He's not here tonight anyway. That's why I fired up the old clunker," Malcolm admitted, gesturing to the jukebox in the corner. "This place could use some livening up, eh?"_

_ Magnus bit his lip for a moment, but finally gave in to his giddiness and tried not to outright run over to the nondescript corner. He picked up the guitar gingerly, slinging the leather strap around his shoulder and giving it an experimental strum. The song on the jukebox was only about halfway over, so he tuned it quickly and picked up the melody. He leaned against the stool that sat in that corner, slowly going from mumbling the words of the song to outright singing them, trying to make his voice gritty and sad like Bob Dylan's, but cringed when it came out like usual, high and childlike. _

_ He wasn't watching, but Malcolm's eyebrows had risen extremely high, intrigued at this eerie sound. It was odd to hear the song in that key, but it was undeniably haunting. He went over and shut off the jukebox, letting the boy sing and play without accompaniment. Magnus didn't even notice._

_He finished the song, and all those eyes were on him again, and his face heated up just a little. He figured they probably thought he ruined the song with his high pitched rendition, but slowly, the two men in the farthest booth put their cigarettes in their mouths, freeing their hands to clap for him. There were a few other half-hearted whistles and claps from the room, and Magnus graciously put down the guitar and went back over to the bar. _

"_Sorry," he said, not really sure why, but it felt like he should apologize. Possibly for attracting attention or disrupting things. _

"_Not at all, lad. Wish Jake was here. I'd like to see what jealous looks like on him," Malcolm chuckled._

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><p>Magnus pulled the car into an alleyway between two run down brick buildings, and parked it near a door with peeling green paint.<p>

"Where's Molly's?" Alec asked, looking around for a sign of some sort.

"You're looking at it," Magnus laughed. He pointed to the door. "Finest establishment in all of London if you want to get really drunk and talk about anything that makes no difference in the world."

Alec just stared at the façade. He quirked an eyebrow at his boyfriend, but shrugged. Magnus knew _exactly_ what he was thinking. He'd been thinking the same thing the first time he'd come here. This isn't exactly the place to attract gay couples, he'd admit. But really, it was so much more than that. The patrons there, at least the ones he'd known, couldn't give less of a damn who he slept with.

He led the way up the two steps to the door, opening it and allowing Alec to step inside before he followed. They walked down a short hall before it opened up to the familiar smoky atmosphere he hadn't seen since he was 18. He inhaled the scent of cigars and beer, and it put a smile on his face. This wasn't a place that Alec would think his boyfriend would like, but that's what made it so great. It was off his own beaten path.

Of course, the room rung with the sad voice of Bob Dylan, though it was a little clearer coming from a new stereo mounted on the wall next to a muted television showing a news program of some kind. There was hardly anyone in here, and none of them paid any mind to who walked in the door. He wasted no time, grabbing Alec's hand and lacing their fingers together and pulling him toward the cracked wooden bar, where a man of about 40 was wiping out highball glasses.

Magnus slid right onto a stool, slapped his hand down on the surface of the bar, and said, "I'll take the light one, please, sir" in a steady, sure voice.

The man cleaning out glasses set down his rag and went to grab a pint glass, but when he leaned back up he almost dropped it to the floor.

"Jesus shit! What the hell, mate!" he nearly yelled.

"Well, hello to you, too, Jake," said Magnus, a grin spreading across his face. The man came out from behind the bar to clap Magnus on the back before grabbing his hand in a firm shake.

"Bloody _hell_ it's good to see you! In person! I've been making do with the telly lately," said Jake cordially. "I always knew this one would make it, didn't I! I told you! And you never listened. Kids!" he scolded lightly, and Magnus just smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. How much money did you bet on it?" he asked.

"I'll have you know I made thirty quid off your arse, mate," Jake replied with a look of accomplishment.

"Glad I could contribute to your livelihood," Magnus chuckled.

"And this one is…new," Jake said, indicating Alec standing off to the side watching the exchange silently.

Magnus tugged Alec closer, their fingers entwined again. "This is Alexander, but you can call him Alec because you're lazy," he teased.

Jake extended a hand. "Alexander," he spoke haughtily, just to spite Magnus, "pleasure, mate. You do look rather familiar, I do say."

"Well, you do own a television, now," Magnus pointed out.

"That we do. But we don't watch much American _soccer_ here," Jake said with a light sneer on the word, making fun.

"And you just gave yourself away," Magnus laughed.

"Truth be told, I reckon there are more fans of his in here than yours," Jake said to Magnus. "Welcome to Molly's, friend! Where the ale is never stale, but you can never be sure about the patrons!"

Alec snickered at that, and Magnus couldn't help but tug him in, placing a kiss against his temple. Alec froze for a split second, but no one in the entire establishment was paying them any mind. There were three old men sitting at a corner table, talking heatedly with heavy Irish accents, the smoke cloud around them almost obscuring them from view. There was also a lone man, a little younger but still over the hill, reading a paper at a table in the middle of the room. It seemed like something out of a movie, one of those places you'd find an old mob boss or something, except happier.

"So, is the old man around?" Magnus asked.

"I'm sure I can drum him up from somewhere," Jake replied. Before he left, he filled two glasses with an amber colored liquid and slid them down the bar to Magnus and Alec. Then, he disappeared behind a narrow doorway.

Alec eyed the glass for a moment, but decided to live it up. He took a tentative sip and almost swooned. It was the smoothest beer he'd ever drank, and he wasn't really a beer person. He never pegged Magnus for a beer person either, but his glass was already almost half empty.

"Amazing isn't it? They brew everything in the back. Malcolm refuses to sell any of his recipes to the big guys either. It's amazing this place isn't crowded at all hours. I figured it would be sooner or later, but lo and behold, it's stayed under the radar." Magnus took another sip and set his glass down, looking around nostalgically.

"So, I'm guessing you spent a lot of time here?" Alec asked. Magnus let something flash across his face before schooling his features into a reminiscent smile.

"A shit ton more than my mother would have liked. Though, she didn't know until I was damn near addicted to the atmosphere. Then, she knew she couldn't do anything to stop me," he said, chuckling. He pointed to the corner, where an upright piano was nestled against the wall, and a guitar leaned up against it. There was a stool and a microphone standing there, but no stage. The five foot radius around that corner apparently served as stage enough. "Jake usually plays on weekends. Anything anyone shouts out that they wanna hear. He's really good, but he never wanted to do it for money. Jake's Malcolm's nephew. Malcolm owns the place, and he's the best old man you'll ever meet," said Magnus.

Just then, that narrow door opened again, and Jake came striding out followed by an old man with barely a shock of white hair clinging to his forehead. He was short and stocky, but his eyes were wide and gray and kind.

"Well, young chap!" he bellowed at the sight of Magnus. "I didn't believe him when he told me!"

"And I just made two more quid off that," Jake whispered conspiratorially to Alec, causing him to giggle.

Magnus had let go of Alec's hand, sliding off his barstool to envelop the old man in a tight hug. Alec watched Malcolm's face split into a grin, and his heart warmed. He suddenly realized that he'd never seen Magnus with adults, other than Alec's own parents, and that didn't much count. He'd come to think of Magnus as a very independent sort of person, and though he knew he'd had a mother until age 21—and still had a father, though he didn't talk about him at all—he found it hard to imagine Magnus ever answering to anyone in a parental sort of way. However, that was entirely the vibe he got from Malcolm and Magnus' exchange. Malcolm might as well have been a long lost uncle, and it was clearly apparent that he valued Magnus dearly. It was plain on his face.

When they broke apart, Malcolm turned to Alec. "And look here, chap! You've brought an actual celebrity into my establishment! We'll be mobbed for sure!"

"I promise I'm not the celebrity," Alec laughed bashfully.

"He just likes to tease me at every possible chance," Magnus supplied.

Alec raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so I have you to blame for teaching him to tease so relentlessly?" he asked, turning to Malcolm. The old man bellowed out a hearty laugh at that.

"I learned from the master, it's true," Magnus answered.

"Well, just so you know, any friend of Magnus' is a friend of Molly's," Malcolm said, reaching out for Alec's hand. When it was offered, the old man pulled him in for a hug, and Alec's heart warmed once more. It was hard not to love Malcolm already.

"Also, I doubt you'll be mobbed ever," said Magnus. "It took me two trips around the block to remember and find the turnoff."

"All in the plan, chap," Malcolm replied, tapping a finger to his temple. "Only want to be found by those truly worthy." Alec just smiled. "So, young chap," Malcolm continued, turning to Magnus.

But Magnus cut him off before he could continue, seeing him gesture to the far corner. "Oh, no. I'm here strictly for the drink. You can't force me into anything," he warned with a chuckle.

"Oh, young chap, no one forces your arse up there, and don't think I've forgotten it. Did you know that if there is a pseudo-stage anywhere in a five kilometer radius, this one will be drawn to it like moth to flame?" Malcolm asked, turning his attention to Alec.

"I've noticed that, yes," Alec answered with an affectionate smile at Magnus. He had. It was nigh impossible to deter Magnus from a performance when the opportunity presented itself. It was just one of those things; it was Magnus' ultimate happiness, his release.

"Well, if you won't play for us, I guess I'll have to make do with this blasted thing," Malcolm said, gesturing to the new stereo mounted on the wall. "Jake loves all that new-fangled shit, I tell ya. I told him he's an old fart like me and he needs to stay in the dark ages where we belong, but he won't listen. And I suppose now that you're here he'll think he's twenty again, damn it all," he complained. Jake just laughed from behind him.

"You know, there is a world besides the records in the Wurlizter," he said. "There _has_, in fact, been music made since 1974. I'm sure Magnus can tell you that."

"Ah! We'll have to get one of yours into the box! I tried, but I've yet to find your face on vinyl, young chap," Malcolm lamented, but it was with a teasing tone.

"That's because I don't live in the dark ages, Malcolm," Magnus teased right back. "But I did talk to the label about it, since some rare people still own whatever those things are that play records…" he looked confused, but they all knew he was just teasing. Magnus owned a record player that sat on a table against the wall in his apartment, and was perpetually loaded with _Rumours_ at all times. "They told me the same thing. 'No one lives in the dark ages, Magnus!'" The two older men laughed at the imitation in his voice.

Alec just sat back and enjoyed the repartee, like he was watching some old movie. His heart swelled watching Magnus banter back and forth with the two old men, like he was just one of the boys. It occurred to him again that Magnus hadn't really had anyone paternal in his life for a long time, and he could see, plainly, how much he'd missed this place. It ended up being well past midnight when they finally left, but Alec would have stayed there all night if Magnus had asked him to.

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><p><strong>See? Even with the infamous D included, it was still a mostly happy chapter, right? I live to please, as always. And, *gasp* a lemonless chapter : lol You'll get another lemon in the next one, which will be up on Wednesday :) **

**Reviews actually do make me write faster. Literal proven fact. Also I'm shameless and I like begging apparently LOL**

**I love you! Yes, you! :D**


	9. The Beaten Path of Darkness

***hangs head in shame* I know. I know I'm a horrible person. I promised an update on Wednesday and here it is Monday before I let you have it. I have reasons I swear. I was nearly done by Wednesday night, and then I just...scrapped the whole thing. For personal reasons. A lot of you know this, but I project a ton of myself into this verse's Magnus. More than I care to admit. And well, it just got way too close to home and I felt like I was skinning myself alive and letting you read it, and I just wasn't comfortable. So, I scrapped nearly the entire thing and rewrote it from Alec's POV instead, which made it easier. **

**I hope, since I had given you a chapter last weekend anyway, that you'll still love me? :) Because I love you guys. And we WILL get back on the Wednesday schedule again this week. I promise. **

**Beta'd by Wekya because she was awake at an ungodly hour of night and not busy and also because she is lovely. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: Too Far Gone by Sam Bradley (like I said, lots of Brit-based music here)<strong>

Alec heaved a huge sigh of contentment, bordering on comical. It must have been, because he heard Magnus chuckle from where his head rested against Alec's hip. The previous residents of this room would probably have had a heart attack, but Magnus didn't seem to care that his bare feet were resting against the cream-colored wall above the ridiculously ornate headboard while his head faced the footboard. His legs were extended up at an angle so he could avoid having his head right next to Alec's feet, which put his rear end nearly resting on a pillow. He didn't seem to want to acknowledge the fact that the position put Alec's head next to _his_ feet, since Alec was sitting with his back propped up against the headboard. Alec didn't really care at the moment either, since his sigh of contentment was spurred on by Magnus tracing all the letters of the Greek alphabet with the tip of his tongue on the sensitive skin over Alec's hip bone. Every now and then, he'd put his whole mouth down to suck a rosy hickey into the flesh before pulling back and blowing cool air on the wet surface. Their fingers were entwined and resting next to Magnus' naked thigh.

"Are you real?" Alec asked, his eyes still closed against the pleasurable sensation of Magnus drawing the omega symbol before nipping with his teeth again.

"Last I checked," Magnus said against the wet skin. He looked up just as Alec opened his eyes. He gave him a devilish smirk and Alec just laughed. Magnus lifted their hands and started tracing his fingers in and out between Alec's, lazily mapping out the creases in his palm and knuckles.

"Can we just…" Alec trailed off.

"Keep doing this for all eternity? I thought you'd never ask," Magnus finished.

"But when would we eat? When would we sleep? You do understand we've been awake for approximately 36 hours now?" Alec protested, a voice of reason that even he was resenting at the moment.

"Well, I could tell you what I would use for nourishment," Magnus quipped. "It's actually chock-full of protein you know." He cocked an eyebrow and watched with satisfaction as Alec's half-hard cock jumped right in front of his eyes. They'd literally been either having sex or working up to having sex or just coming down from having sex for the past 7 hours. They'd finally agreed to rest a while, and here Magnus was, inciting excitement again. "Also, I could think of some things that are _much_ more fun and fulfilling than lousy _sleep_."

"Mmm," Alec answered. Well, it wasn't a disagreement. Magnus swung his legs down from the wall, twisting around and climbing on top of Alec's lap, straddling his hips. Alec groaned low. "Magnus."

"Yes, love?" he answered, running his hands up and down Alec's arms and shoulders, nuzzling his hair.

"This is ridiculous."

"What is?"

"That you expect me to be able to move a muscle right now. I'm literally tapped out, Magnus."

Magnus looked at him with a challenging expression. He scooted back just a little, so that he wasn't sitting directly on top of Alec's lap, instead resting over his thighs. He kept eye contact with Alec, who was wondering what the hell he was doing. Magnus looked him straight in the eye, and cocked his eyebrow again, adding a small smirk and biting his bottom lip on one side. He watched as Alec's eyes slipped shut and he let out a huff of breath between his teeth, and he didn't even need to look down to know Alec would be almost at full attention now.

"I think I've proved my point," Magnus said.

"Which was?"

"That you most certainly _can_ move a muscle. At least, the most important one," he answered with a victorious smirk.

"Come here," Alec beckoned, opening his arms. Magnus scooted back up into his lap and Alec wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to rest his head in the crook of Alec's neck. "Magnus?"

"Hmm?" he hummed against his pulse point, causing a slight tremor.

"Can we…_not_ fuck for like, an hour or so?" he asked, but Magnus could hear the smile in his tone.

"We've been _not fucking _for the past 45 minutes. Close enough." At Alec's look, he conceded, "Fine. I'll even do you one better," he added.

"A regrettable choice of words," Alec quipped.

"We won't fuck for the whole day. I am not allowed to touch you and you are not allowed to touch me until the clock strikes midnight tonight," Magnus dictated. "I suspect that's a respectable amount of time to wait."

"Respectable for whom?" Alec asked.

"Well, even _I_ have a healthy respect for sacred boundaries," he answered. Alec quirked an eyebrow, or tried to. "I'm taking you to church today, sweets."

"Magnus. It's Monday afternoon."

"I didn't say we were going to a service. We're just going to look. Come on, darling. Fresh air?"

Magnus knew Alec couldn't say no to that. Plus, the poor housekeeping staff would need the rest of the day to make the room even remotely livable again. Not that Magnus was complaining. They'd literally fucked on every surface imaginable and then some. Apparently, London air made Alexander Lightwood the horniest bastard on the planet, though Magnus suspected part of it had been the contribution of Malcolm's dark ale. Alec had downed four pints in less than two hours. He didn't even know the meaning of the word 'inhibitions' and Magnus took full advantage when they'd gotten back to the room.

As Magnus heaved himself out of bed and shuffled to the shower, he began to let thoughts creep in that he'd been hoping to avoid by coming here. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Alec he left London behind for a reason. He didn't _want_ to remember most of it. He'd carved out a section of his thoughts especially for memories of this place and he'd kept it under lock and key for a long time. However, he knew those images would crop up sooner or later, especially after showing Alec all his old haunts. That was the point of bringing him here, though, wasn't it? To show Alec who he was before? Since it had a huge—bigger than he'd like to admit—impact on who he was now.

He let the steamy water rain down on him, thinking of where he'd told Alec they'd go today. He wasn't really thinking before he'd said it, but as soon as he brought it up it felt like his heart began to stutter. He kept thinking that one of these stops on memory lane was going to eventually break him down, and he didn't really want Alec to see that, but it was kind of unavoidable. Plus, he trusted Alec to take it for what it was; Magnus Bane wasn't weak. On the contrary, he was quite steadfast and strong. Sure, he'd shied away from memories that were more hurtful than they were pleasant, but that didn't mean he hadn't had to put effort into doing so. Most of his life in New York had been built on forgetting and replacing old parts of himself with new ones that were different. He'd come to realize before now that those new parts had more resemblance to the old Magnus than he cared to admit, but still he tried to leave that past behind. Alec knew almost nothing of his life before New York, though, and that was unfair. Alec had let Magnus into his own life, even shared things he didn't share with Isabelle which, now that he had seen their dynamic together, was a big deal; Alec didn't tend to keep things from her. To know that Alec trusted him like that made him desperately want to return the favor. To show Alec parts of himself that were locked away for no one to see. Parts that even Camille didn't know much about.

* * *

><p><em>"Why do you do these things, Magnus? Don't you know you'll never amount to a thing if you neglect your studies? Honestly, boy!" His father rolled his eyes in that infuriating way that made 12 year old Magnus want to punch his lights out, though he never would. In the back of his mind, he had such conflicting feelings about his father but he usually tried to ignore them, choosing instead to take the heat and disappear from the man's radar for a few hours until he cooled off. <em>

_ He'd gotten a bad mark in geography, and his father had heard from his headmaster that it was because Magnus had been re-working parts of Bach's Bradenburg Concerto #3 to make them compatible with the chords from "She Loves You" by the Beatles, instead of listening to the lecture. He'd said it was just for the hell of it. When the instructor asked him why he thought a pointless endeavor such as that was more important than listening to the lesson, he just shrugged and rolled his eyes, and said that in 15 years, when he was the greatest composer in the world, it wouldn't matter to him which river runs through the Rhineland. That got him sent to the head office and his father had been furious._

_ Magnus stuck to his usual routine when his father was in the lecturing mood: he locked himself in his room with Brahms, Bach, and Handel, and a can of mandarin and mango Lilt. His only true friends. A few minutes into his sulking ritual, he heard a faint but insistent knock on the door. He prayed it wasn't his father coming back for more. He said nothing, and in a few seconds it swung open to reveal his mother, carrying her own can of soda and settling down on his unmade bed. She let the silence stretch on, and he knew she was waiting for him to say something. That was her way; she always made him start the conversation, so he chose where it went. _

_ "I really could care less about geography, mother," he stated simply, not even looking up from the songbook in front of him. _

_ "I know. Me either," she answered. "I hate to be the devil's advocate here, but you really don't use it later in life unless you're going to be a backpacking explorer or a head of state. And even then, you can tell some of them didn't listen to a word their teachers said." She took a slow sip from the can in her hand, a drop of condensation dropping down onto the hem of her jean shorts. "However, there are always going to be certain things you have to do that you don't want to, Magnus." Her look remained stern but understanding._

_ He let out an irritated sigh. "I'm not a child, mother!" he protested. Her expression didn't change, despite the irony of the statement. "You don't have to talk to me like I'm in diapers and incapable of understanding duty. I know I have to listen. But I refuse unless the professor provides me with a viable reason why I should listen to _him_. He's a bloody drone and if I wasn't studying more important things I'd have offended him further by falling asleep."_

_ "Magnus," she stated, a full sentence in itself. He simply went back to studying the notes in front of him. A few more minutes of silence and sulking, and his mother spoke up again. "You know, you'd be a lot less cranky if you played more."_

_ Magnus whipped his head up and stared at her in disbelief. "Tell that to _him_!" he protested petulantly, pointing to the door and out to where his father still sat in the living room. "He's the one who said I couldn't utter or play a note after five o'clock!" Magnus' father had put the sanction on Magnus' playing in the house since it tended to go on at all hours. When Magnus had been outraged, his father gave him the choice between that and getting rid of their small standing piano altogether. Magnus chose the curfew hour. _

_ "I didn't say you had to play here, Mezereon," she corrected, using her nickname for him that he kind of liked and kind of hated. "If you can pry yourself away for a while, I want to take you somewhere."_

_ He quirked an eyebrow, but set down his beat up songbook. _

_ "Grab your coat," she warned, "We'll be out for a while I suspect." She was smiling mischievously, and Magnus had to admit his interest was piqued considerably. He threw on a black frock coat—that his father had told him was for girls and homos and not twelve year old boys—and headed out the door behind her._

* * *

><p>"How much further?" Alec asked. Magnus could tell he was getting antsy. They'd been in the car for a good half hour already.<p>

"Close, I promise," he answered with a smile. They both watched the sun setting against the small hills as they flew down the two lane road. He leaned up and knocked against the glass between them and Andy. "Next left," he called out. They both felt the car slow and make the turn, but they were still staring out the opposite side at the pink hues thrown onto the grass outside. Magnus didn't need to give Andy further instruction, as the road ended about half a mile later at their destination.

He leaned up again, addressing Andy. "We'll only be a little while. I don't want to stay too long." Andy just nodded, settling back with another London paper, still trying to make sense of things. It was quite comical sometimes.

They slid out of the back seat and made their way up a small dirt path. There was a clear entrance made of trees that had grown into a slight arch, but nothing but the path was visible. Magnus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Alec seemed to sense his slight discomfort and squeezed his hand lightly. Encouraged, Magnus led them through the natural arch, and took the immediate turn in the path, and there it was.

Standing a little off-kilter, due to an ever-failing foundation, was a small, three-room chapel with green shutters and a solid oak door. It looked as if time had stopped here; nothing was different. He hoped it was the same on the inside.

"This is…cute," Alec remarked, checking the place out. "I still don't understand, though."

"Remember I told you my mom used to take me to a church in the middle of the night to play and sing because otherwise it annoyed the shit out of my father? Welcome to my own personal concert hall," he said with a sweeping gesture.

"Here? How in the world did you guys find this place? It's kind of…off the beaten path."

"Not sure. She used to say she got lost one day while driving out to the country, but she was always one for purposefully getting lost, if you know what I mean. She was an adventurer, as much as she could be. She liked picking the most obscure turnoffs and seeing where they led her. She was more a child than I was sometimes," Magnus reminisced with a small chuckle. They tread up the steps and he shouldered the door open, the creaking groan sounding exactly the way he remembered. It almost made his heart hurt.

The entryway opened up to a small sanctuary, about ten rows of wooden pews on each side. The upholstered seats were green instead of blue now, and the fabric looked fairly new. They walked up toward the pulpit, and there it was. The nearly 70 year old Steinway that was usually out of tune and didn't play a few of the notes below middle C. Just the thought of putting his hands against the cool ivory felt like a wash of relief; from what, he didn't know. He figured he was about as happy as he could be in his life right now. This place, it had been an escape from all the things he wanted to change when he was younger. Even as he'd gotten older, up until the night before he left for university in America, he'd come here to ask the walls if he was doing the right thing. They never really answered him, unless it was to echo back the notes he pulled from the instrument, which was answer enough.

"I love the way old buildings smell," Alec said into the silence between them, and it was so hushed that there was no echo and Magnus barely heard. He turned to his boyfriend with a wry look.

"Random much?" he said with a nervous laugh. He still couldn't shake the feeling that he was letting Alec do the equivalent of reading his innermost thoughts. But that was what he was trying to let him do, right?

"Sorry," Alec said, blushing. "I've got a thing for old stuff. Books, buildings, art. Pretty much anything with history. It's fascinating." He looked around the room, his blue eyes reverent. "I can almost picture the sermons given in this place."

"Well, I can tell you that the first time I was here, there hadn't been a sermon in about twenty years. Or so I was told," Magnus said.

"Still, it's cool." He went over to the third pew from the front, on the right side, and gave Magnus an expectant look. "Well? Go on. Serenade me," he said, as if it was obvious.

"Who says you get a free concert? I'm under contract you know. Gotta okay things with Jordan first," Magnus replied, teasing.

"Well, for one, I get a free concert whenever I want. Perks of the position of boyfriend. And two, I really wish that you'd sometimes look at me like that." His expression was a little dreamy.

"Like what?" Magnus asked, confused.

"Same way you looked at that piano when we walked in. I'm observant, Magnus, but it doesn't take an observant person to notice it. It's like there's a magnetic pull that you're fighting against by standing this far away from it," he said solemnly.

Magnus kept a straight face for a moment before he burst into giggles. "Alexander Lightwood, philosophy doesn't look all that good on you. It's rather odd, actually," he said, still giggling, the sound bouncing off the stained glass windows that were turning the pink sunset outside into a rainbow of blues, oranges, and purples. Alec was still giving him an expectant look. "Oh, fine."

"Something I haven't heard before, chamber musician," he said haughtily from his seat.

"Excuse me? You've heard everything I've written." He toyed with the thought of playing the song he'd played in here hundreds of times, but his stomach dropped out at the notion. He might be reliving his past, but there were limits to what he was ready to subject his heart to.

"Not live," Alec corrected. There were a few songs from Magnus' album that he hadn't performed on tour. He simply sighed and made his way up to the pulpit. It felt strangely like he'd done this just yesterday, when it had been well over 5 or 6 years since he'd even been here. He'd actually thought about coming here and seeing the old preacher after his father's trial was over and he was about to leave for good. However, he'd decided against it, wondering if he'd have ever left if he gave in and entered through that oak door. It was almost like she still lived her. She wasn't anywhere else, at least not as vivid.

**Song for this section: Gravity by Sara Barielles (a song "written" by Magnus, which appears on his album. There's a link on theglamourverse (dot) tumblr (dot) com to see the entire album, should you wish to check it out!)**

He sank down onto the wooden bench, which creaked under his weight. He fingered a few chords to check how badly out of tune it was, but was surprised when it was remarkably clear and accurate. Someone had tuned it recently. He didn't give it much thought; the preacher didn't come here often, but no one else could have done it. Though, he didn't know why, since the chapel wasn't in use. Although, it looked like the old man was fixing it up, what with the tuning and upholstery, so maybe he was planning on bringing his current congregation here. He'd always said the little tool shed-sized place he gave his sermons in was never up to snuff, but at least it had air conditioning. The preacher's father had owned the land and the chapel, and it had fallen to him when his father died. He'd kept it up, and kept his offices there, but usually said that people wouldn't attend church if it wasn't convenient, so his congregation met closer to the city.

After he'd satisfied himself that it would play the chords he needed clearly, he began playing softly, a song from his collection that had made it onto the album out of pure chance. He wasn't very proud of it, and it was another one of those songs he'd written in a whiney fit, about someone he desperately wanted to forget. But he'd made the mistake of playing a few verses for the producers, and they were adamant about keeping it on the track list since he'd denied them the gem that he'd played for Alec that first night. He couldn't really argue. It was good, but it was just one of those songs that brought him back to a place he didn't want to be.

Nevertheless, the cathartic nature of it spurred him on.

_Something always brings me back to you_

_It never takes too long_

_No matter what I say or do_

_I still feel you here till the moment I'm gone_

He could almost feel himself getting angry. Angry at the song, angry at his teenage self, angry at the world, he didn't know. But he went on, banging the keys a little harder than strictly necessary, in contrast to the slow, quiet nature of the first verse of the song.

_You hold me without touch_

_You keep me without chains_

_I never wanted anything so much_

_Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain_

He went into the chorus as angry as he'd allow himself to be. He still couldn't deny the catharsis he was feeling, but he didn't want to be angry at anything other than the inspiration for the song.

_Set me free, leave me be_

_I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity_

_Here I am, and I stand so tall_

_Just the way I'm supposed to be_

_But you're on to me, you're all over me_

* * *

><p>Alec sat mesmerized. He didn't think Magnus would pick this one. To this day, he'd never told Alec who it was about, but he'd pried it out of Camille that he'd written it about an ex. He'd written it right in the middle of their year and a half long relationship, as a teenager, at a point where he wanted to give up, but his body and heart wouldn't let him. That's all she'd told Alec, and he'd wished he could have asked more, but her expression had closed the discussion. Alec was kind of dumbfounded, the first time he'd heard the recording of it, that Magnus had written it when he was just 17 years old. It held emotions and references that were usually heard from those who'd seen a lot of shit in their lives. This was written at a time when things were going relatively well in Magnus' life, as Alec understood it, with the exception of the relationship he was in. The words tended to sway from short and juvenile to deep and wise and longing.<p>

However, nothing could have prepared him to hear it in person, or _watching_ it. The melody was soft and sweet, but Magnus was almost banging it out on the fragile keys. Alec wasn't an idiot. He knew the song was about anger, but still; seeing it come to life in front of him was unnerving. He got that feeling he often got when he watched Magnus play and sing: that he was a voyeur looking in on something innately private.

_You loved me 'cause I'm fragile_

_When I thought that I was strong_

_But you touch me for a little while_

_And all my fragile strength is gone_

As he went back into the chorus, Alec was reminded of his first thoughts when he'd first listened to this on recording. The words seemed to be describing the very antithesis of the Magnus he knew. The Magnus he knew and loved was strong-willed and took no shit from anyone. Even when he'd showed his vulnerability during the photo disaster that threatened to separate them forever, he'd kept his head high and stuck to his own self. It was killing him, yes, but he wasn't going to let his love for Alec diminish him as a person. Alec had admired that about him. But the words in this song referred to someone who had almost no self-worth. Who let someone else dictate his life and keep him prisoner in something he wants to break free of. They're also describing someone who thinks he's not capable of leaving the situation he's come to loathe. A very much lessened Stockholm Syndrome, perhaps is how Alec would describe it.

_I live here on my knees as I _

_Try to make you see_

_That you're everything I think I need_

_Here on the ground_

_But you're neither friend nor foe_

_Though I can't seem to let you go_

_The one thing that I still know is_

_You're keeping me down_

That haunting note echoed off the walls of the entire sanctuary, and Alec was hit with an eerie feeling, same as he got when Magnus held out nearly the same note the first night he'd sung to Alec in his penthouse in Brooklyn. Alec would never forget that feeling, of thinking he was sinking into an abyss and being caught by a resonating sound of hurt and longing. It never failed to give him chills. He'd closed his eyes against the sensation, and when they opened again he caught movement from the right side of the room, to the side of the pulpit where a hallway led off to some other rooms. A man in a green coat and slacks was standing there, leaning against the wall, watching Magnus with an unreadable expression.

Magnus was lost in playing, but Alec was sure they were in trouble. He barely had time to let his jaw sag a little and his eyes widen in guilt before the man noticed him. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, and brought a finger to his lips, indicating Alec should stay quiet.

The song came to a close, with Magnus finally taking pity on the keys of the old instrument and playing the chords a little softer at the end, letting his voice and the notes fade into nothing. Alec's eyes darted back and forth between Magnus, who was facing away from him, and the man standing at the corner.

The man gave a very small golf clap and a bow of the head and Magnus' head jerked up at the sound. Alec watched his face as it went from guilty at being caught to almost instant affection. Alec just stayed in his seat.

"I've been waiting a while for that thing to be christened again. I don't think I could have possibly had a proper service without it, and you left it in such a state of confusion and unrest, no one else would lay a finger on it," the old man said. "But we are saved, for he has returned!" he bellowed with a comical flourish, clearly sarcasm.

Magnus laughed a little nervously. "You know I won't stay. I can't stand it here," he said.

"Mmm. I know. Feeling unwelcome in God's house unless in the dead of night and all that," the man said with a tilt of his head.

Magnus nodded. "At least you remember me accurately," he replied. Then, his face changed from the playful glint to more sincere. "I'm sorry we bothered you, father. We'll be on our way."

"Now why would you say you're bothering me? Do you ever remember me being particularly bothered when you came in banging on those keys at all forsaken hours of the night? Besides, I wasn't joking. No one has touched that piano other than to tune it since the last song you played on it. Another secular tune, yes, but at least it had divine references. This new one is melodic, it's true, but far too sad for a house of the Lord."

"Father, I…" he trailed off. Then, he seemed to change his train of conversation. "At least I made you have an appreciation for Led Zeppelin."

The preacher laughed heartily then. "I suppose there's that." Without changing his line of vision from Magnus, he added, "You've brought a different audience with you this time."

Now Magnus got nervous again. Alec felt the spark himself; after all, people of their orientation weren't looked on too kindly in most churches. The man walked over to Magnus, who stood from the bench in respect and held out his hand, but was instead given a firm pat on the shoulder, reading the expressions on both their faces easily.

"Did I teach you nothing? To love truly and with your entire soul is to secure your own place in Heaven. That is the very foundation of Heaven itself: Love. As long as you have it, you cannot be left in darkness. The darkness comes only when you deny yourself." Alec watched as Magnus hung his head for a moment before lifting his eyes again and smiling.

"Father Alford, this is Alexander," Magnus said, tilting his head in Alec's direction.

The father walked down and extended a hand. "Alexander. Pleasure to meet you." The shake was firm and friendly. "As usual, son," he said turning back to Magnus, "stay as long as you like. Just don't leave a mess." He turned to give Alec another nod, a glint in his eye, and strode back to the side of the pulpit, disappearing down the hallway, leaving Alec a bit disoriented.

"And he still speaks to me like I'm twelve. But he's cool, you gotta admit," Magnus said quietly, his eyes still showing the sad notes of the song but the lines around them relaxed.

"Do you know _everyone_ in England?" Alec quipped, half trying to lighten the mood and half actually wondering. It was true, it was hard not to like Magnus if he let you in, but still, was there anyone in the whole place that wasn't his familiar?

"Just the important ones," Magnus replied. "Come on, I bet Andy's bored as hell."

**Song for this section: Colorblind by Counting Crows (Gah this fucking song, man. Loved it for years. Use it at every excuse.)**

"Aaaand we're right back where we started," Alec yawned, leaning his back against Magnus' chest, Magnus propped up against the pillows against the headboard.

"Is this a bad thing?" Magnus asked, though in his voice it was clear he knew the answer already.

"Of course not. I just mean to say that I'm proud of you for keeping your word," Alec answered. He felt the thump of Magnus' heart against him, and reveled in the feel of his bare skin against his own. They had only undressed and slid under the covers, but hadn't gone any further. After all, Magnus had said the stroke of midnight, which was still ten minutes away.

"I tend to do that sometimes," Magnus replied. "Though, it has been rather excruciating."

"Yeah right. You haven't given a second thought to my dick all day, Magnus."

"Contrary. Every spire we passed that was even remotely phallic in nature sent into a horny frenzy. I only staved my appetite because I made you a promise, and I don't want to appear untrustworthy this early in the game."

Alec just laughed. He leaned his head back and placed a kiss underneath Magnus' chin, which was the furthest his mouth could reach in their current position. "Well, if you botch the last ten minutes I won't tell anyone," he said, experimentally rolling his hips and finding that yes, Magnus was just as desperate as he was.

They went surprisingly quietly and quickly about their preparations, maneuvering so that they lay on their sides, Magnus' arm draped over Alec's hip, gripping him firmly and possessively. The moment Magnus slid inside was as it always was for Alec, exhilarating, like falling over a cliff and giving in. Even though they'd had enough sex for six couples in the past few days, he was still not used to the stretch he felt, and the slow feeling of being filled up. This time, though, they were quiet. Not much else but their breathing was echoing back to them, and the occasional sigh of contentment from either of them. It was almost as if they weren't even trying to finish, just relishing the feeling of being joined. Alec liked these times, when they made love for the sake of feeling close, and not for the sake of getting off. He enjoyed getting off, yes, but it couldn't compare to this. To feel Magnus inside of him and give himself fully over to just the feeling of being completely at the mercy of another person who held his heart in his hands.

Magnus only thrust in and out a few times over the space of twenty minutes, and those were slow and without rhythm. They could have stayed this way for hours and neither would have gotten tired of it. However, Alec could sense Magnus tensing and holding back a little.

"You can speed up, if you want," Alec whispered over his shoulder as Magnus kneaded the skin of his hip with careful fingers.

"Actually…I want to try something. Trust me?" he asked.

"Magnus, do you really need to ask that?" Alec wondered.

"Maybe not, but yes," he replied. Alec understood.

He turned his head as far as he could to place a kiss on the corner of Magnus' lips, whispering, "Of course."

He waited as Magnus repositioned his leg so it was sealed against Alec's, and then he sank all the way in, causing a groan work out of Alec's chest. Their bodies were sealed completely against one another, and he felt Magnus' hand pull at his hip a little, pulling him desperately closer.

"Hold onto me," Magnus whispered, taking Alec's hand and placing it behind his neck. Then, he wrapped his arm fully around Alec's waist, and rolled over onto his back, pulling Alec with him to rest on top of him. Magnus bent his knees, placing his feet flat against the sheets, and draping Alec's knees over his own so that he was completely supporting Alec from below. The position sent him so much deeper that a moan ripped from Alec's throat before he knew what he was doing. Gravity kept Magnus buried impossibly deep inside him, and he reached up to try and grab the headboard behind him.

"You okay?" Magnus asked, his breath ragged and needy. Alec only nodded. Magnus grabbed his searching hands, pulling them back down and wrapping both their arms around Alec's chest, locking their bodies together. In this position, Magnus could only pull out about an inch or so before sinking back in, but the feeling of being so completely full and close and _together_ was almost overwhelming. Alec could only stutter wanton phrases and broken moans. Magnus was leaning against the headboard again slightly, but not fully sitting up. He let his head fall forward and Alec felt his lips seal against the skin of his shoulder. Despite their earlier slowness, they were both already sweating and heaving tired breaths.

Alec wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it occurred to him that he was holding off his own release, afraid of letting this glorious feeling end. Magnus' hand reached up and brushed his hair back, no doubt feeling the utter tension throughout his entire body.

"Let go, Alec. Please," he sighed into his ear, clutching him closer.

That was all it took. Alec felt his whole body tighten and shudder, pulling a strangled groan from Magnus beneath him as they both rode out the aftershock.

"Oh my…god," Alec panted as he slumped back against Magnus.

"I love you," Magnus whispered, placing another deep kiss against his neck and shoulder, his arms not loosening.

Alec couldn't explain why, but he felt the tension in Magnus acutely. They'd both just had what Alec might call one of their top ten orgasms, and he literally felt like jelly, but Magnus was still taut and on edge, he could sense it.

"Magnus, are you okay?" he asked gently. He made to pick himself up and slide off of Magnus, but the arms tightened around him like a vice.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry," he whispered. "Just…don't go?" Alec couldn't see his face, but he could practically picture his elegant green-yellow eyes tightening at the corners. His heart clenched for a second, though he couldn't explain exactly why.

"Never," he vowed. "Magnus, I'm never going anywhere, I promise."

Magnus took a shaky breath. "Okay," he said. Alec let Magnus roll them to the side again, but he stayed buried inside. Alec was fine with that, since he was abruptly afraid that if they pulled apart, Magnus would crumble to pieces. He wanted so bad to ask him what was the matter, but the matter seemed closed for the night. Alec simply entwined his fingers with Magnus' finding them nearly shaking with tension, and tried to pry them apart without much success. Eventually he gave up and just rested his hand atop Magnus', which rested over his heart. Alec's own breathing had evened out and he was almost asleep when he felt Magnus' body tremble with a quiet sob. Just one, before it was quiet again and they both drifted off.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter, since you had to wait a lifetime for it. Reviews are always ALWAYS always appreciated. I read them when I'm down, and sometimes they lift me up more than you could ever know. I value each of your opinions dearly. :)<strong>

**I love you all, as always!**


	10. Don't Be Such a Holy Fool

**Ahh yes I know, excuses excuses. I saved this one to let Sarah beta it, and I ended up changing a bunch of stuff, so it was late anyway, and blah blah. *hangs head again* Obviously tho, you still believe in me if you're reading :) So I love you! And also, there is a ****SUPER SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT****at the end of the chapter, so make sure you lookie!**

**-Brace yourselves, because you're going to meet someone most of you already hate. His name starts with "D" *evil grin* Also, to be clear, at this point in time it is late August 2011. Alec is now 24, Magnus is now 25, and Mr. D is 9 years older than Magnus. **

**Beta'd by valiantmongoose :) Lots of references to things that aren't mine: Queer as Folk, Doctor Who, Top Gear, etc. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Song: Give Me Everything Tonight by Pit Bull feat Ne-Yo (Nice happy dance music, yes?)<strong>

Alec tried desperately to read Magnus' face. After all, he was the more fashion conscious of the two and if what he'd seen in London so far was any indication, the style was a shit ton different here than it was back home. While he didn't usually much care about fashion (which was ironic considering who his sister was), he was concerned about looking like an idiot. He'd worn mostly t-shirts and jeans since they'd been in London, but he'd also brought some of the clothes Izzy had forced upon him on one of their rare shopping trips.

Alec had dressed himself while Magnus went down to the lobby to meet with his manager, Jordan, about the shows that will start next week. He was due for rehearsals at the first venue tomorrow, so they were hammering out details. Now, Magnus had returned to the room and literally froze mid-step at the sight of Alec standing at the kitchen counter mixing sugar into a cup of coffee—he preferred coffee at night, a habit most people had told him he needed to kick.

"What?" Alec finally said, trying to keep from folding his arms around himself in embarrassment at Magnus' scrutiny.

His boyfriend remained silent for a few more moments, seeming to gather his thoughts. Then, he finally spoke, just as Alec was taking a nervous sip of his coffee.

"Uh, Alec…darling. You don't actually _want_ me to fuck you in the middle of the dance floor, do you? Also, I'm pretty sure you don't want anyone _else_ to do so either?" His expression was a little suspicious. "Am I correct in this assumption?"

All Alec could say back, after nearly spitting coffee everywhere, was "Huh?"

"Please. Have you passed a mirror at any point since you made the grievous decision to torture the shit out of me with that ensemble?" Magnus asked. Alec could only splutter out an apology; for what, he didn't know exactly. He'd kind of forced himself to not look in a mirror for fear that he'd feel he'd look ridiculous.

He was wearing a pair of combat boots that were open loose at the top, black jeans that blurred the line between denim and paint, his crossed pistols belt buckle he'd worn to Cherry Bomb so long ago, a simple gray tank top underneath a black pinstripe vest, and a couple of leather cuff bracelets he'd raided from Magnus' suitcase. His contacts had been bothering him all day, so he'd taken them out and conceded to wearing the glasses he rarely ever wore, considering he thought they made him look like a cross between and Bill Nye and Milhouse from the Simpsons. At least they were black, so they matched, he figured.

He considered Magnus' comment. "So, I look okay?" he asked.

"I'm not sure 'okay' is the suitable adjective," Magnus said as he walked toward Alec, visibly adjusting himself as he approached, causing Alec's cheeks to flare a little. "However, I think I would feel a lot more comfortable and less likely to attack anyone who glances your way if you lost the tank top and put on another shirt. Keep everything else, though. You look positively edible." Alec blushed harder, but turned around and headed back into the bedroom, grabbing a hunter green Burberry button down and swapping it out with the tank top, slipping the vest back on over it. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, since he was assuming he'd probably be sweating a lot tonight—which was why he'd picked the tank top first. But he wanted to look good, and Magnus seemed to approve of the modified ensemble.

The next hour and a half was spent sipping coffee while he waited for Magnus to get ready, watching Doctor Who re-runs on some random channel (since he hadn't been able to find the station he'd been watching Top Gear on earlier in the day). He guessed it was okay, though. He had a ridiculous crush on David Tennant (it was mostly the sex-hair).

When Magnus emerged, Alec was torn between being turned on and entirely unsurprised at his appearance. After all, it was _Magnus_. He had been somewhat of a fashion icon in New York before he'd gotten famous for his music. Even Isabelle had known who he was before. The outfit he'd chosen tonight was as fierce as ever: dark blue leather pants, a wide black belt that hung sideways on his hips, and a Queen t-shirt that was ripped at the neck, making it a makeshift v-neck. His hair was gelled into his typical faux-hawk, and his eye makeup was electric blue and intense. Alec always had to fight back the lust when Magnus dressed up for clubbing. He was abruptly jealous, a little. Magnus was afraid of people coveting _Alec_ on the dance floor?

"Ready?" Magnus announced as he stopped in a mirror and applied a swipe of lipgloss.

"As I'll ever be, I guess."

Magnus laughed. "You'll be fine. Imagine Babylon, only calmer. A little. Maybe." He laughed again at the look on Alec's face. "Aww, boo. I'll protect you from the big bad bears, don't worry."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Just don't desert me. I might have a nervous breakdown."

"Alexander Lightwood. You deal with muscled guys running at you and trying to trip you or knock you over on a daily basis, all while trying to control a small object rolling around between your feet. I think you can handle getting hit on by a few hotties with that accent you love so much," Magnus teased, putting more emphasis into his own accent. Alec lowered his eyes and blushed slightly again. He really shouldn't have given away his accent fetish.

"Fine. Also, I'm stating right now: five bucks says you know the doorman."

"Would you like that in dollars or quid?" Magnus asked, playfully feeling around his skin-tight pants for his wallet.

"Oh my god. Magnus, really. Do you know _everyone_?"

"You're only getting the biased tour. I only take you to places where I have an in with the folks that run the place. Why would I take you somewhere where they don't already love me? Or, Craig's case, want to fuck me six ways from Sunday."

Alec's eyes widened. "Magnus!"

"I didn't say I ever _let_ him. It was fun to tease him, though," he said with a mischievous smile.

"Trust me. Craig and I might have some grievances in common, then," Alec muttered. Magnus simply leaned in and placed a small peck on his cheek and batted his eyes in mock innocence. Alec simply grabbed the top of his arm like he was going to pull him along and scold him, but instead hauled him up for a real kiss.

When he finally released him, Magnus asked, "Woah, what got into _you_?"

"Just marking my territory, for Craig's reference," he said solemnly. He was only joking. Sort of.

* * *

><p>The taxi dropped them off in front of a slightly unassuming row of buildings, but it was easy to spot their destination, even if Magnus hadn't remembered exactly where it was. There was a line out the door and around the block, and he could spot more drag queens in that line than on Logo. As they walked up the sidewalk, he felt Alec's arm slip around his waist. At times like this, he would normally just cuddle into his side and smile up at him, but sometimes it hit him how big of deal a small gesture like that was for Alec. He was pulling him close and showing everyone that Magnus was <em>taken<em>, right there on a crowded sidewalk. It baffled Magnus sometimes how far Alec had come in the space of a year. However, he was also aware that said drag queens and the other boys alike were checking them both out. Alec would assume immediately that they were all looking at Magnus, of course, which most likely prompted the 'marking his territory' move. Magnus only smiled to himself; he didn't mind at all.

They strolled up to the door, bypassing the line. Some of the waiting patrons whispered to each other behind their hands with wide eyes, taking in who they were. Others outright gawked. Some would start to complain about them skipping to the front, only to shut up mid-sentence when they got a closer look. As they walked past, they got stopped for a few autographs. It was probably the most entertaining thing Magnus had ever seen in his life to watch Alec's face as he was asked to sign a falsie that one queen pulled out of her bra. Finally, they made it to the actual entrance, and others stepped aside to let them pass.

Magnus walked right up, signature strut in full swing, and leaned against the counter where the doorman sat texting on his iPhone. He batted his eyelashes just like he used to, and jutted a hip out, causing his shirt to ride up and his pants to sag a little, a strip of glitter-dusted caramel skin becoming visible right in the doorman's line of vision. Magnus watched with satisfaction as the man's breath caught a little and he adjusted his position before looking up.

"Well I'll be bum-fucked," he said.

"I trust you don't need to see my ID, sir?" Magnus said coyly, batting his eye lashes again.

"I wasn't aware you even had one. I've never seen it before," said the doorman.

"Yeah, we always seemed to bypass that part. I'm sure I cannot imagine why," Magnus teased.

"Uh huh." His face lightened a fraction, as much as he was capable, Magnus supposed. "Welcome back, Bane. At least my conscience will be clear this time, since you're actually legal and everything."

"Not that that ever stopped me before," said Magnus, switching position, jutting out the other hip and watching with unconcealed satisfaction as the huge man's lips pursed the tiniest bit in appreciation. It was nice to know he still held the sway he used to when he was 16. After all, sure Magnus was still tall and skinny and tanned, and still had defined features and gorgeous hair, but time had taken away that purely boyish twink quality. It was reassuring to know that he was still hot enough to incite a spontaneous erection in this 285 pound brute of a man.

He turned around and entwined his fingers with Alec's. "I'd like you to meet my man candy," he said. "This is Alec."

Alec held out a hand, looking a little intimidated, and the doorman shook it.

"Babe, this is Craig," Magnus introduced. He watched as Alec's face slipped almost comically into a hardened expression at the name, no doubt recalling that this was the man who wanted so bad to bend Magnus over and make him scream—which, truth be told, Magnus had considered once upon a time. He had to fight back a giggle at the thought of Alec actually asserting his dominance in this situation, considering if he tried to punch Craig in the face it would probably much resemble a Bella and Jacob reenactment.

"Go on in," Craig said, not giving Alec much thought other than to give him a once over himself, and grinning appreciatively. "Oh, and angel," he called when they had passed, causing Alec again to harden his expression, but Magnus turned at the sentiment without even thinking. It's what Craig always called him. "Glad to have you back."

Magnus smiled and tugged Alec into the elevator. When they emerged on the third floor, they were bombarded by the pounding bass and mass of bodies grinding in the middle of the room. He hadn't been fibbing, really, when he made the comparison of Dorian's to Babylon. It was quite a bit smaller, since it occupied the top floor of a building that served as a restaurant by day. Also, it wasn't so warehouse-esque. It looked more like someone's attic that had been converted into a club, with random booths at the sides and only one bar at the far corner. There were little nooks, like dormers, that were easy to hide in. Magnus shook off the thought and headed toward the back of the room, where the bar was lit up with purple neon and the bottles that lined the back wall were so many that there was no way anyone who wasn't incredibly lithe could retrieve one without toppling the entirety.

They ordered drinks and Magnus leaned back up against the bar and settled against Alec's shoulder. He surveyed the room, thinking of how he was going to convince his boyfriend to grind a little later. Alec's biggest fear was dancing, and though they'd had their first kiss during a makeshift dancing lesson in Magnus' living room, he wasn't dumb enough to presume that Alec would want to jump right into the middle of a hundred sweaty guys and shake his groove thing.

After he'd finished his first drink and ordered a second, he spotted a familiar face. It almost made his heart hurt, and the smile that involuntarily spread across his lips was nothing if not incredibly affectionate. Time had been kind to this face, apparently, since he only looked like a slightly more filled out version of his teenage self. His features were still babyish as ever. Magnus stared until the other man made eye contact, and then smiled warmly. At first, he had on a pissed off expression at being stared at (one of those 'take a picture' faces, which was actually pretty in-character for him). But then, his eyes widened, and Magnus could practically hear his intake of breath before he bit his lip and squealed, abandoning the cute blonde he'd been dancing with.

The lithe brunette bounded toward them, shoving dancing twinks out of his way with a huge smile on his face. "Who's that?" Alec asked, looking slightly alarmed. "You know him?"

"He's one of the best people in the universe actually. And judging by his reaction, he doesn't actually hate me, which is a plus," Magnus said with a twinge of sadness. He knew for a fact that a few others _did_ hate him, and it still hurt. "Just…brace yourself. He can be a little campy."

"Magnus Bane is warning me about someone _else_ being campy? Lord help me," Alec teased as Magnus slapped his arm, just as the brunette descended on them.

"Holy fucking all that is sacred. Come the fuck here," he said with barely controlled enthusiasm, and Magnus pulled him into a hug. "You fabulous fucking git," was the sentiment whispered in his ear. "I missed your fucking face so fucking much."

"I missed you, too," was all Magnus could manage. He wasn't expecting his heart to clench this tightly. When they finally let go of each other, he turned to Alec, who looked slightly concerned. "Frankie, this is Alec. Alec, this is—"

"Frankie Callahan, mate!" he said, scooting up beside Alec and bumping hips with him, causing the most adorable blush to spread over Alec's cheeks. "So, this is the footballer? Mmm…he's fit as fuck," Frankie intoned with an overly appreciative glance over Alec's body, and Magnus was abruptly glad he'd made Alec change. He still felt a jealous and possessive twinge, but he fought it back. Frankie was just enthusiastic.

"I'm right _here_," Alec muttered, and Magnus chuckled.

"Careful, Frankie. He's a little skittish and I'm a lot territorial."

"Oh, hush. You shouldn't have brought him if you were afraid of him getting snatched. Besides, you know I have a fetish for hotties in uniform," he went on, still leering at Alec but clearly now doing it to make Alec uncomfortable. It was quite comical.

"But I'm not wearing a uniform," Alec corrected with a confused expression.

"Sure you are. The British National I-Want-To-Get-Fucked uniform. Mine's at the cleaners," he said with overdone sadness, like he'd just remembered. His arm was now around Alec's shoulders, and Alec was looking positively terrified. Magnus tried to fight back his giggle as he finally came to his boyfriend's rescue.

He pried Frankie's arm off Alec, and slipped his own into its place. "Alright, that's enough ogling my man, Frankie. I'm sure you've got some poor leather daddy wondering where your pert ass has gone off to."

"Rubbish. No one of substance wants me anyway." He sighed dramatically, but it turned into a playful smile.

"So…what's it short for?" Alec asked. "Frank? Franklin? Frankford?"

Magnus snorted. "Nope. It's just Frankie. See those eyes?" he said, pointing to his old friend's piercing ice-blue eyes, a contrast to Alec's deep ocean ones. "His parents were big Sinatra fans." Frankie just shrugged.

"Well, I'll let you boys enjoy your night. I'll see you again next week, mate," said Frankie.

"Oh? Do we have dinner reservations I don't know about?" Magnus teased.

"That would be nice, yes. But of course, I have a ticket to the show at 12 Bar." At Magnus' raised eyebrows, he added, "Stood in line for bloody hours, I tell you. Day they went on sale. Wouldn't have missed it for the world, mate."

Magnus thought he might tear up, so he fought it and just pulled Frankie into a hug again. He didn't much know about his other friends—although he was sure Josh would keep his word about never speaking to him again—but it made him feel extremely fortunate to know that Frankie didn't hate him. It was one thing about this place that he could file into the happy section of his mind.

When they parted again, Frankie gave him a slightly grave look, and leaned in to speak under his breath. Out of earshot of Alec.

"Just…watch yourself, mate. He's here." He was somber—the first time he'd been so since he'd appeared. Magnus' breath caught at his words, because from the tone of voice he didn't even need to ponder who Frankie was talking about. He tried to school his features, since looking pale would do nothing but incite suspicion in Alec, and he couldn't lie to him.

"I can handle it," Magnus said as confidently as he could. He wasn't entirely sure he could, but he wasn't going to doubt himself into some kind of relapse.

"Magnus—" Frankie's tone was serious.

"I can handle it," he repeated, harder this time.

"I know you can, mate. I just don't want you to get hurt." _Again_. He didn't say it, but it was blatantly implied. He put a hand on Magnus' shoulder, squeezed, and let it drop. His face changed back to playful as he turned to Alec. "Ciao, gorgeous," he called, reaching out and patting Alec's ass, causing him to blush anew. He turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"I can now see where you got it from," Alec said solemnly.

"What?"

"A perfect combination of everyone. Malcolm's teasing. Father Alford's wisdom. And Frankie's unending obsession with inappropriate public groping," Alec said with a slight shudder.

"Oh, no darling. I taught Frankie _everything_ he knows," Magnus said with a smile. "Come on, boo. Let's dance?" he asked with a tug at Alec's arm. Alec rolled his eyes, but set his drink down and let himself be lead out on the floor.

**Song for this section: Electric Chapel by Lady Gaga (ominous, yet sexy, foreboding…)**

It was surprisingly easy to get Alec out on the floor, and in no time they were grinding up close, partially on their own and partially by being forced closer by the crowd. Magnus couldn't explain how fucking much he'd missed this, dancing at Dorian's, letting the sweat roll down his back and letting the beat rule his pulse. Having his hair up and off his back was actually better than he remembered. Sometimes, when it had been long enough to reach the middle of his back, by the end of the night it would have been twisting in his hands as he tried to lift it off his overheated skin. He'd have never told his mother that, though. She'd often threatened to cut it all off in his sleep, and he liked to think he was rebelling against society and his parents by keeping them all irritated. Besides, for someone who got off on having his hair pulled, it was ideal.

After a good hour of dancing, his legs were burning but he'd never felt more alive. Alec complained about his feet killing him and Magnus had finally consented to him leaving to get them drinks. He watched Alec work his way through the throng of bodies, trying to get to the other side of the long room to the bar. Magnus kept swaying to the beat, but not really dancing. His eyes scanned the room a little nervously again, as they had a couple of times since his encounter with Frankie. He didn't _want_ to see the man Frankie had been talking about, but he couldn't help the pull. That happens when there's never any real closure; you can't help yourself from wondering what would have or should have happened.

He most certainly no longer loved the asshole, but the fact still stood that the relationship between them had changed Magnus in a thousand tangible ways. He'd been fighting off thoughts of soft chestnut hair and hard green eyes since he'd touched ground at Heathrow. Fighting off the memories he didn't want to creep back in. But everywhere they went, something reminded Magnus of him. Of the way his kiss demanded Magnus' compliance, of the way he showed Magnus how to want with unbridled desire, how Magnus had been stupid enough to believe that it was for love.

His eyes swept the corners once more, offhandedly. Suddenly, his pulse froze.

* * *

><p><em>Magnus could feel his hair sticking to his sweaty back through the fabric, but that just made it more euphoric. He lived for drowning in the middle of a crowd while simultaneously standing out like a flame in the night full of dim stars. He let loose, his hips moving sensually and seductively, pulling stares from all over the room. It was blatantly obvious that he was way too young to be in here, which undoubtedly deterred some from approaching, but there was no shortage of brushoffs to give throughout the night. It was when Josh and Frankie left him in the middle of the throng for another drink that he met the only one in the room he couldn't give the cold shoulder to.<em>

_ The man in the suit was suddenly before him, looking at him like he was a piece of meat that this lion meant to devour slowly, savoring every trickle of blood that poured from the corners of his mouth. Magnus was momentarily dumbstruck._

_ "Don't stop moving, gorgeous. That's your ticket, you know. Along with that pretty boy face," the man said into his ear, taking up the rhythm and moving his hips along with Magnus'. He couldn't help it; the way this man commanded his voice made Magnus do exactly what he asked. It was pure compulsion to please him. "That's better. Now, come closer," he commanded, and automatically, Magnus moved into him and let the man's arms snake around his waist, digging his fingers in hard at the skin on his hips. Magnus let his own arms drift up around the man's neck. "What do you call yourself, beautiful?"_

_ He tried his best to retain that utter nonchalance and confidence that he was known for. "Magnus," he said in a low voice, right in the man's ear. "Magnus Bane." _

_ "Mmmm. Magnus. That's an unusual name. Exotic. It suits you," the man replied, unceremoniously running a thumb into the waistband of Magnus' pants, just over his ass. Magnus shuddered. "My name is Daniel." _

_ They continued to dance until the song ended and another one started up, but Magnus didn't even notice. He let Daniel run his hands all over his body, shamelessly moaning when he'd caress his ass, hoping the music drowned it out. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he felt Daniel's hand on the small of his back, guiding him off the dance floor and into a tiny alcove. Without hesitation, Daniel placed his lips over Magnus', pulling at his hips and grinding their bodies together. Magnus moaned and threw himself into the kiss. Daniel tasted like pure sex, and he felt like heaven. His arms embraced Magnus' tiny frame as if he was a doll that some other child would come and snatch away before he had his fill. The feel of Daniel's tongue in his mouth was intoxicating, and he felt like if the moment ever ended, he would cease to breathe. They made out for who knows how long in that little corner of the world, and he forgot about Josh and Frankie and his parents and the concert solo he had to sing tomorrow night at school and anything else the world expected of him. He just melted into this gorgeous man, like he was the elixir of life. _

_ Daniel finally pulled their lips apart to smirk at him. "Would you like to accompany me home, beautiful? I promise you won't be disappointed." The smooth sexiness of his voice was enough to do Magnus in. All he could do was nod. "Good. Don't bother telling your friends. They'll figure it out. This must happen a lot, I assume." He turned to walk out, toward the elevator, pulling Magnus by the wrist in a slightly uncomfortable grip that didn't really register with Magnus at the moment, but that he felt later. _

_ "Actually, never," he said quietly as they stepped into the chilly London night. _

_ "Never?" Daniel asked, an eyebrow raised._

_ "This has never happened. I've never…gone home…with anyone…before," Magnus answered, hanging his head. He felt a finger under his chin and looked up._

* * *

><p>"Why fancy seeing you here, beautiful," said a deep sexy voice. Magnus fought off a shudder, barely.<p>

"Fuck off." Magnus' voice was steady, but even he could tell it wouldn't stay that way for long if he remained in this spot.

"Aww, don't be like that," Daniel crooned in that patronizing voice, like he was sweet talking a cat down from a tree. "Don't I even get a hello? That's quite rude, you know. A celebrity who scoffs at his own fans."

"Last I checked you weren't my fan," Magnus ground out through his teeth. Why on earth was he even _talking_ to Daniel? He didn't deserve the time of day. However, he kept feeling that pull that he hated. Absolutely fucking hated, but he couldn't get rid of. Daniel had fucked him up like that; he had conditioned Magnus to think that he was everything he would ever need. He'd lived nearly two years of his life believing that, and it had fucked up his reasoning. He'd gotten past it, even almost forgotten the feeling completely, but being in his presence called it back with a force that nearly blinded Magnus.

"Might we go somewhere where we don't have to yell to talk?" he asked.

"Oh hell no. You're not luring me off anywhere. And my boyfriend is here with me," said Magnus, emphasizing the word but knowing it wouldn't deter Daniel in the least. He was also afraid of Alec walking up and seeing him talking to this tall gorgeous man and making all the right assumptions.

"I was only suggesting we go off in there," Daniel said kindly, like a snake luring its prey. He pointed to one of the alcoves off the side. It could have even been the same one that first kiss happened in. Daniel watched him, and Magnus knew that Daniel knew he was going to comply.

They slipped into the cramped space, and Magnus immediately chastised himself for not letting Daniel in first. Now, when Daniel did join him inside, he was trapped. Almost instantaneously, he was pressed against the brick of the wall. He tried to feel put-off. He tried very hard.

The lights continued to pulse in time to the pounding bass around them. The music was near deafening, which was his excuse for pulling Magnus into this cramped alcove. Really, they could have been in the middle of the dance floor and no one would have noticed. Though Magnus was sure his adversary preferred to have his quarry in this position, pressed against the cold brick wall with nowhere to run.

"I know you miss me. I can see it in your eyes," Daniel said, his velvety voice caressing Magnus' ear. He was riveted and disgusted all at the same time.

"Does that pseudo-sentimental crap still work for you?" he retorted, trying to hide his discomfort.

"You tell me, beautiful," the man said as he ran a finger down the side of Magnus' jaw. Magnus knew where he was going, and he jerked his head before the touch could get there. He should have known better. In a matter of milliseconds, that gentle, caressing hand became a vice, latching onto his chin and jerking it to look into those poison green eyes. Magnus felt a steel-hard shaft pressed through two layers of leather right into his groin as he was pushed further, harder into the wall. It was angry and needy at the same time, full of desire, and Magnus knew it well. It sent a shiver down his spine, and he hated that he couldn't distinguish whether it was fear or sexual frustration. But he knew what he _should_ do. What he _had_ to do.

He put both hands on that rock hard chest and pushed, sending his captor into the other wall, looking only a tiny bit stunned. The jest in Daniel's eyes only made Magnus angrier, but he couldn't find it within himself to protest more.

"Aww what's the matter?" he asked. He came back to caress Magnus' face again, and Magnus wanted to scream. "I remember when you used to get off on being knocked around, baby." The smirk on his lips was maddening.

But Magnus shoved again, though gentler this time. "Fuck you. I'm not sixteen anymore. You can't just fucking claim me whenever you feel like it. I _do not_ love you anymore. You're going to have to get that through your pig head." His voice was raised above the music, but it still sounded a little uncertain and weak. He hated it. He was grinding his teeth together because he couldn't think of anything else to do.

"That's a load of rubbish and you know it," he said, moving in once more to press Magnus a little more gently between himself and the raised brick of the wall. He took hold of both of Magnus' wrists, pinning them on either side of his head. Then, before Magnus could protest, familiar, cigarette-and-spearmint-tasting lips were on his.

And there it was. That revulsion he should have felt earlier. This was wrong; it felt so utterly _wrong_. Magnus was elated at the feeling that he was so disgusted, the feeling that he didn't want this and not only because it was _Daniel_, but because it wasn't Alec. His Alec. Who loved him for real and was only 50 feet away getting him a drink.

This time, he put all his strength into the shove. He sent Daniel backwards against the brick again, and had a flash of terror when he saw the livid expression in Daniel's eyes. He must have figured that would scare Magnus off, though, because he schooled it in an instant, but it was too late.

"Leave. Me. Alone." Magnus enunciated with as much venom as he could possibly muster in his flustered state. He steeled himself and squeezed past Daniel's heated, hard body and back out onto the main floor. He was breathing rapidly and he tried to control himself. He clenched his eyes shut and took one deep breath, letting it out slowly, feeling as his heart rate settled back down. His teeth still felt on edge, but with each passing moment he could convince himself that what had just happened was a dream, an unwelcome nightmare that had only happened inside his head. Except it _had_ happened.

"You okay? What's the matter?" Alec asked, appearing with a glass of something red and fizzy in each hand. Magnus took one as casually as possible.

"Nothing, babe. Just tired. What's this?"

"Bartender said it was a Hollywood Heartbreaker," Alec answered with a half grimace, shrugging.

Magnus took a sip, and immediately he liked it. It was undoubtedly strawberry Fanta-based, which made it a win in itself. He let the vodka aftertaste burn through his throat and down into his bones. With every passing second, that unwanted nightmare slipped further away.

"Mmm," he hummed, sidling up to Alec suggestively. His boyfriend gave him a questioning look, but welcomed the intrusion in his personal space. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Wow. All that from a drink? You're not gonna break my heart now are you?" he joked as he leaned up and kissed Magnus on the temple.

"Never," Magnus replied. He vowed to himself that he would have the strength to keep that promise.

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><p><strong>EEEEK! And there you have it. <em>Daniel<em>. Yes, the one Amy has been in cahoots with. Isn't he a Grade A Ass? Those of you who follow the tumblr/twitter know this by now. Ky frequently threatens beating him with a baseball bat. He's a complete shit, and you know what? I'm gonna show you just how much of a shit he is...**

**So, Super Special Announcement: I'm going to post the story called "Glamour is Blind" on FFn (it has already started posting on tumblr, but I kept it off here because some things were spoilers and I didn't want to tempt people too badly). The flashbacks that you've read in this chapter and the Molly's chapter, etc, are taken from that story (but they are only small snippets). GIB is the story of how Magnus/Daniel met, the progression of their relationship and Magnus' discovery of his submissive nature, and ultimately the very sad/angsty ending of their relationship. There are happy times, though: it contains a TON of Frankie and Josh (who was mentioned in this chapter, and you'll see back when Josh WAS speaking to Magnus...even more than that...), it also has lots of Marianna, Magnus' mother. She's pretty cool, I think. Others have said so as well. So it's not ALL angst. But by reading it, you will be able to understand a lot about the current Magnus. He was different when he was younger, but not as much as he'd like to think. **

**I highly HIGHLY suggest you read Glamour is Blind, if you want to understand the dynamic that happens between Magnus and Daniel in THIS story. (For instance, why Magnus gives in and lets Daniel push him around a little, which probably made a few of you pretty furious, right?). That story won't update "regularly", because as I said, some of it spoils this story. However, I will usually post a chapter of that when it pertains to the most recent update of this story, so it'll kind of be like delving deeper into the places Magnus is taking Alec (The first chapter is about Magnus meeting Daniel here at Dorian's and subsequently losing his virginity, the second chapter will be about the first time he took Magnus to Molly's, etc.) I hope you'll read it, because it's pretty close to my heart.**

**As always, please tell me what you thought! I'm sure lots of you will have an opinion on this one, since you've now met the mysterious "D" :)**


	11. It Rests Like a Hammer Blow

**Hey guys. Sorry for such a long hiatus. But I'm back :) I had actually planned on getting the next chapter out tonight as well (since it begins right after this one), but sleep is threatening to take me, since I've been up for a considerable amount of time now. But it will be up tomorrow sometime, along with one (perhaps two) new installments of Glamour is Blind. If you haven't read A Lesson for Science on theglamourverse tumblr yet, you should! It's the account of Magnus (and Josh's) first kiss :) hehe.**

**This chapter was beta'd by the lovely valiantmongoose, who is the salt of the earth. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: Being a Mockingbird by Bobby Long (Probably my favorite of the Brit Pack. Sorry, Rob!)<strong>

Despite them having a complete blast for the rest of the night last night—which could have been worse, he thought, if it had taken place a year ago—Alec couldn't help but notice a change in Magnus' demeanor after he came back with the drinks. For one, it was nigh impossible for Magnus to cling to him any more than he had been, but it seemed like a switch had flipped. For the rest of the night, Magnus was basically a possessive, over-zealous, hungry boyfriend. Like, the total "get a room" type, even in the midst of a bunch of half-naked gay guys basically having sex on the dance floor. He couldn't explain it; it just seemed like he was trying to prove something. It wasn't nearly like Magnus had said it would be, with millions of guys hitting on Alec at every turn. Alec was actually pretty sure they were well known enough that people knew they were together. However, it didn't seem to stop Magnus from wanting to mark his territory.

Alec wouldn't have found it all that weird, considering the amount of alcohol they'd ended up consuming the previous night. After all, Alec himself got considerably more handsy when he was drunk. The weirdness set in, though, when Magnus' behavior last night was coupled with his behavior all morning. When Alec woke up to find an empty space next to him and the smell of something sweet wafting from the kitchen, he rolled out of bed and traipsed out in his boxers, following his nose. He found what should have been a hungover and dry-heaving Magnus cheerily frosting a fresh batch of cinnamon buns.

"Morning, babe," he called, not turning around.

"Morning…" Alec said tentatively, still apprehensive of the situation. He himself felt a bit under the weather, and he hadn't had near as much as Magnus. He walked up behind his boyfriend and slid his arms around the slim waist encased in a thin t-shirt and the waistband of a pair of cotton boxer briefs. For a second, they were back in LA, at one of their apartments, about to head off to their respective days-in-the-life. But as soon as Alec's hands made their way around Magnus, he felt his boyfriend let out a small gasp and lean instinctively into him. This wouldn't have been weird, and it shouldn't have been, but for some reason it felt more intense than any other time. It wasn't _easy_ like usual… It was like Magnus hadn't expected Alec to be there, alive, with him. Like Alec's mere presence was a gift Magnus didn't know he'd ever receive. It was a little…disconcerting. It even showed in the way Magnus let his eyes drop closed and squeezed them a moment, before opening them again and turning to place a kiss to the corner of Alec's mouth.

Alec squeezed his arms a little, then let go and walked to have a seat at the bar, watching Magnus as he plated a roll for each of them. On closer look, they weren't like the cinnamon rolls Alec was familiar with. They looked almost like regular dinner rolls slathered with cinnamon sugary butter, then frosting.

"Go ahead. And don't make fun. I tried to put more frosting on yours," Magnus said.

Alec took a tentative bite, and the bread was sweet and melty. He gave Magnus a look of satisfaction and Magnus practically beamed. It was true, Alec had been a little vocal on the blandness of English food lately. He tried to bite his tongue but sometimes he couldn't help his face when he bit into something that looked like he was going to taste like a hamburger but really tasted like cardboard cooked in grease. There were some things, though, like a soda called Lilt that Magnus had introduced him to, that were very good. He'd quickly become addicted to those, much to Magnus' amusement. He'd told Alec he was quite dependent on them when he was younger. They were his guilty pleasure.

"I can't believe you're up and around this morning. When did you go to sleep?" Alec asked. Magnus had been fiddling around with the baby grand piano in the corner of the sitting room when Alec had retreated to bed. It's actually what lulled him to sleep. He wasn't singing, just playing nonsense melodies very softly. He had looked very distant, which Alec had attributed to the fact that he was very drunk at that point, but this morning he was thinking it might be something else. His eyes looked the same as last night, even though his demeanor was upbeat.

Magnus looked chagrined. "I didn't," he said. "I ended up puking my guts up around five, continued alternating between pressing my face to the cold bathtub tile and hugging the toilet for another hour or so, then gave up on sleep and started reading whatever I could find in there. They have a copy of Atlas Shrugged," he said, jerking his head toward the sitting room, which had a tiny bookcase with a few leatherbound volumes on it. "Then, I tried to wake you up but you were out cold. So I decided to cook, and lo and behold, food makes you come running," he teased.

Alec smiled, having the normal Magnus back for a moment. They continued to eat and chat about random things, but Alec didn't bring up his suspicions, because…did he really _have_ any? Sure Magnus was acting a little off, but could it be his imagination? He chose to ignore it in favor of asking Magnus what he had planned for the rest of the day, since it was well past 2 in the afternoon already.

"More driving," he said. He had that distant look again for a moment, but then he broke into a small, warm smile.

They ended up going not very far from the hotel (at least, by the standards of their last few trips). The car pulled to a stop on a street that kind of reminded Alec of the middle-class areas of Brooklyn. The houses were a cross between row and townhouses, attached at some points and not at others. They were all tall and skinny, most three or four stories. From the looks of them, though, each story couldn't have held more than one or two small rooms.

"This is cute," Alec mused to himself.

"Glad you think so," Magnus answered. He exited the car on the side nearest the sidewalk, while Alec slid over to go out the same side, in fear of being run over by the cars that sped down the narrow, winding street. After telling Andy to wait just a while, they approached a little brown and green house, sandwiched between two slightly larger ones, but it wasn't devoid of charm. The door was painted a deep hunter green, but it was peeling slightly. The brass door knocker was tarnished, as well as the numbers above it. However, the whole place looked warm, despite the fact that it was obviously uninhabited. The weeds around the walk leading up to it gave that away, in strong contrast to the rest of the manicured facades on the street.

He heard Magnus huff out a breath next to him. Then, without warning, he strolled right up the walk and the two steps to the door, slid a key in the deadbolt, turned it, and shoved the door open with a creak. "Just like I remembered. At least it hasn't gotten worse," he intoned. "You know, I've never taken this off." He jingled the key. "Dad told me it was silly to keep it while I was going to be in Florida, but I kept it anyway. I figured the distance was only temporary." He hung his head a little, surveying the state of the tiny stoop.

"Distance is always only temporary, Magnus," Alec said as he rested his fingertips on Magnus' upper arm.

"Yeah, especially when you _want_ it to be forever," he mumbled, and Alec pretended not to catch it, since he didn't think he was supposed to.

Magnus pushed the door all the way open, revealing a small entryway with a sitting room off to the right. There was a long couch that took up one entire wall, facing another where a large box television rested on the floor. A chair in the corner was also angled toward the TV, a Tiffany-style lamp hanging over it and a bin of magazines on the floor at its feet.

Alec let his eyes wander, taking in the artwork on the walls, which was mostly abstract and colorful, although it looked a bit dingy now. An empty cup rested on the small end table next to the couch. One of the throw pillows was askew, as if someone had been sitting on the couch, watching a scary movie and hugging it, then thrown it aside to retrieve popcorn from the microwave. Despite the thin layer of dust over everything, the room looked as though whoever had lived here had only just left, and they would walk back in to resume their activity at any second. He felt like he was intruding.

He turned to speak to Magnus, but no one was beside him. He walked back out into the entryway to find Magnus leaning against the wall with his back turned to the room, looking out the doorway to the street. When Alec placed his hand on his shoulder, he didn't respond.

"Hey," he whispered. It seemed appropriate. "We can go if you want to."

"No. I don't want to run away anymore," he said. Alec chose not to acknowledge the slight hitch in his voice. Magnus straightened up and turned, smiling tightly at Alec. Without being able to help it, Alec placed both his arms around Magnus' shoulders and pulled him close, squeezing gently. With no hesitation, Magnus let his head fall into the crook of Alec's neck and nuzzled for a moment. He felt Magnus take a couple of deep breaths, and finally felt alright with letting him go to straighten up. "I love you," Magnus said, looking at the ground.

Alec nudged his cheek with his nose, tilting his face up enough to kiss. "I love you, too," he whispered against Magnus' lips. Finally, Magnus turned and closed the front door, turning to make his way up the stairs. He studiously avoided looking into the sitting room Alec had come out of. They climbed the stairs to the first landing which boasted one thing Alec hadn't been expecting: the kitchen.

"Why isn't the kitchen on the first floor?" Alec asked, confused.

"It is," Magnus said, now trying to hold back a smirk.

"But we just came fro—Oh." Of course. The English and their weird ways of having such things as "ground floors" and "first floors" be two different things. Alec was still getting used to things like that. He was learning, but he didn't think he'd _ever_ be accustomed to driving on the wrong side of the road. It was too disconcerting.

There wasn't much in the kitchen, besides a few pots in the sink that Magnus also looked as though he was trying very hard to ignore. What struck Alec as odd at first was that it did look as though someone would return shortly, even though no one had lived here for years, but now he felt something different. Wouldn't the estate planners and such have cleaned up the place? In anticipation to sell it? Why were there things like dirty pots in the sink and abandoned coffee cups in the sitting room down stairs?

The third floor (second floor…) was divided into two distinct sides. On one side was a set of narrow double doors that made up the size of a normal door together. They were closed.

"I don't think we should go in there," Magnus said quietly. "I've actually only been in there like twice. I wasn't really allowed."

"Is that your parents' room?" Alec asked, and realized he shouldn't have. However, Magnus didn't let it get to him too much. Instead, he turned to the other side and threw open another set of little double doors with gusto.

They were greeted with a colorful array of posters and magazine clippings covering the walls of a tiny room. The twin sized bed took up one entire wall on the far side. It was made, looking quite pristine despite the 20 pillows that were piled atop it, but even those were arranged artfully. As Alec looked around, he was more and more fascinated. There was a bin next to the foot of the bed, which was piled high and overflowing with several paperback books the size of magazines, but much thicker. Upon second glance, Alec noticed some had many little post-its and flags sticking out of the pages.

Magnus noticed his scrutiny. "Those were the ones I couldn't fit into my bags to take to Florida. That's about a third of the music books I had when I was here. I ended up acquiring several duplicates when I moved to Brooklyn, since I refused to come back and get these."

Alec took in his statement and kept letting his eyes scan the room. There was a tiny desk with more music texts open on top of it, and a mirror on the wall above it. On either side of the mirror, there were nails stuck in the wall on which old vinyl records were hung. With closer examination, Alec discovered Led Zeppelin_ IV_, Bob Dylan's _Street Legal_, and one with an exceptionally beat up label that he couldn't make out.

"Smokestack Lightnin' by Howlin' Wolf. Nineteen fifty-six original single. I probably could have hocked that for my entire tuition if I'd needed to. Malcolm has impeccable taste in birthday gifts, obviously," Magnus said, smiling.

"How did _he _afford it?" Alec mused.

"He paid a whopping ten cents for it. In nineteen fifty-six."

"This is pretty fucking incredible."

"Only thing he asked in return was that I play it one night at the pub. I tried, and failed miserably," he laughed. "Jake said I was a screamer and not a howler. I'm sure he didn't know how right he was…" Magnus trailed off wickedly.

Alec snorted. He shook his head, still looking around the room. It did seem very _Magnus_, but at the same time, very removed from the man he knew now. Not so much childlike, but just…different.

"I have the hugest urge to be a five year old right now. I know I didn't make my bed before I left for America. She had to have done it. She was typical mom that way, always after me about the clutter in here. I can't help wanting to just jump on it and throw the covers everywhere just to make her mad," Magnus said with a tiny smile in his voice.

"What's stopping you?" Alec asked.

"Not sure. At least if I break it, there's no one here to ream me out for it." He seemed to deliberate for a few more seconds, then shucked his leather jacket and took a running leap for the opposite side of the room. He launched into the air and landed with a thump on top of the mountain of pillows, breaking into hysterical laughter.

Alec, of course, couldn't keep from taking part. He did the same, flying through the air and landing nearly on top of Magnus and giggling the entire time like they were, in fact, five years old, at a sleepover or something. He leaned back into Magnus and felt smooth arms wrap around his shoulders. When their laughter died down, Alec looked up to the ceiling.

"Magnus…what happened?" he asked. He heard Magnus let out a snort underneath him. Directly above them, there was a large dent in the ceiling plaster, with spidery cracks leading away from it as if something had been thrown into it in a fit of rage.

"Oh, that was _all_ Frankie. He dared me to flip backwards off the bed to the floor, and bet me I'd be too scared to do it. Naturally, no one questions my honor like that and gets away with it, so I stood up on the bed, got into position, took a few experimental bounces, and went for it. I made it as far as the jump in preparation. My head hit the ceiling and it knocked me out. Luckily I landed back on the bed. When I came to about ten seconds later, Frankie and Josh were literally crying with laughter. I could have died!" he whined, but Alec could tell he was trying not to laugh. "Yeah, I was always the tall dork. It wasn't until my later teens that it became 'long and lean' instead of 'awkward bean pole'," he chuckled.

They laid in silence for a bit longer, and Alec simply enjoyed the presence of Magnus holding him, and taking in the nostalgia of the room. It was like Magnus had done a 180 in attitude from downstairs. It was nice.

"You know, I probably shouldn't be laying here. No telling how much mackin' you've done in this bed, knowing you," Alec teased.

Magnus tensed a tiny bit, but let it out. "Nah. No one's ever been in this bed. Well, besides Frankie and Josh, and that was completely platonic. Mostly." He chuckled a little.

"Wait, you made fun of _me_ for never getting any in my own bed, when you've never even had a guy in here? That's low."

"Oh I got plenty," Magnus said. The teasing tone was gone, though. "It was just always…somewhere else." And that was said with such finality that Alec didn't even feel tempted to ask what his tone meant. Before he could think further, Magnus was shoving him up, getting off the bed.

"One more floor to go. And it's by far my favorite," he said.

They exited the now ruined bed, and Magnus left the doors hanging open to his childhood room in favor of nearly bounding up the last flight of stairs. When Alec caught up to him, he discovered that the entire top floor was one open space, and nearly just as cluttered as Magnus' room. Immediately, though, like a moth to the flame, Alec could tell why this room was his boyfriend's favorite.

In one corner rested a very scratched, very faded upright piano, the bench standing a little sideways, as if it had been pushed away so someone could get up and grab something, then come back and finish playing. It was a dark wood, but it was unvarnished and Alec could see the wear and tear that revealed the lighter flesh underneath. The keys were exceptionally dusty, and the last black one on the left end had been knocked off at some point. The pedals were tarnished brass like the door handle downstairs, and hanging off as if they'd never worked properly anyway. The entire top surface was covered in sheet music, with two pieces of thin paper resting on the stand. The title was "Wayfaring Stranger", and it looked like an old folk song. The rest of the room was strewn with boxes of random things: extra pots and pans, candles, figurines of all kinds, plaques.

Alec made his way over to the box full of awards and plaques, picking one up. 1st Place: All-City Choir. Another one stated: Magnus Bane, Commended Soloist, London Youth Chorale and Orchestra. The next one boasted: First Division Soloist, Vocal Competition of Manchester. He didn't have nearly as many trophies and awards as adorned Alec's room in New York, but there was a considerable amount. What struck him was why they were shoved, dusty and forgotten, into a box up here. But he didn't say anything, instead turning to watch Magnus run his finger over the keys of the piano, creating a clear line through the dust. He didn't press hard enough to make any noise, though.

"Well? Are you going to succumb to the usual pull?" Alec asked playfully. He'd come to just assume Magnus would find whatever musical instrument existed in a room and insist to tinker with it. But this time, Magnus shook his head.

"You know how being in a certain place can make you slip into old frames of mind?" he asked. Alec just nodded quietly, waiting for him to elaborate. "Dad _hated_ when I played. He always got so annoyed. This used to be downstairs in the sitting room, but by the time I was six or seven and playing fluently, he was so sick of it that he had a couple of his friends from the university move it up here, so it, and I as well, were as far away from him as possible."

Alec honestly couldn't think of how anyone could _not_ be hypnotized when Magnus played or sang. It wasn't that he was so inhumanly good at it—although he was very, very talented—it was what he put behind it. He could probably play Mary Had a Little Lamb, and if he felt it enough, he could have you crying by the second line. No matter what he played or sang, if it meant something to him, everything in him came out through the music. It was hard not to be mesmerized by it. Alec knew that's what had catapulted him to such instant success: he was one of those artists that _everyone_ could relate to and feel what he was feeling. How anyone could be immune to that was beyond Alec's comprehension. If Magnus wanted you to feel something, you felt it when he played. Magnus was still talking.

"When I was about eleven or twelve, I think, he made the household mandate that I couldn't play after five, which was fucking ludicrous anyway since I didn't get home until almost four every day. Needless to say I got up early on Saturdays," he chuckled. "His ban on playing was actually what made my mom start carting me off to the chapel at all ungodly hours of the night. What's funny is that he was at every single one of my competitions. I never understood that."

"Maybe because he loves you?" Alec supplied. Magnus' face turned bitter, more bitter than it had been in the entryway when he'd avoided looking into the sitting room.

"If he did, he doesn't anymore," Magnus said.

"How do you know? He could still love you, Magnus. You're his son."

"You can't be loved by someone who doesn't exist."

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><p><strong>So, what did you think of casa de Bane? If it's not clear (which I doubt it is), things were left as they were in the house because Magnus basically threatened the estate planners not to touch anything in there back when he signed all the papers putting the house in his own name. He told them to leave it as it was. He didn't even set foot inside the house before leaving after his father's trial was over. So, he technically hasn't been inside of it since he left for school (this should let the impact of what they're doing and what's probably going through his mind sink in a little more...) <strong>

**As I said, next chapter will be up tomorrow. Then, I'm on spring break all next week, so expect lots of updates! :) As always, your thoughts are some of the best parts of my day, so please share them with me. I love you all!**


	12. High Flying Bird

**Hey guys :) Here it is, as promised. I will say, this chapter originally included a lemon, but honestly it's an assault on your emotions already, so I took the lemon out. But do not fret! Lemons are forthcoming, I promise. **

**Unbeta'd, so don't kill me if there are mistakes :/**

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: Metropol 47 by Mark Kozelek<strong>

They didn't spend much time on the top floor, as Alec could tell that Magnus was having trouble as it was. He would have loved to just sit on the floor and go through all the boxes surrounding them and have Magnus tell him stories about everything he found, but he could see that wasn't going to happen. Magnus had that distant cloudiness in his eyes still, as he had all day, and Alec didn't want to make it worse.

When they slid back into the back seat of the car, Magnus told Andy to make his way across town to Earl's Court. Alec had thought they were going to head back to the hotel, honestly. He figured Magnus was tired and his mind worn out for the day, and Alec wasn't going to complain if they holed up in their room and didn't move for the rest of the day. The sun had begun to set against the skyline in the distance, and Alec could just make out the silhouette of the London Eye as they started heading back towards it. Alec's face must have betrayed his confusion, because Magnus said, "I have one more stop I have to make. I've kind of been putting it off, but it's starting to feel heavy."

Alec didn't say anything, just simply slid his hand into Magnus', because the look on his face was begging Alec not to ask him to explain further. He figured he'd get an explanation when they got there. After a few minutes, though, Alec felt the need to fill the silence and take Magnus' mind off whatever had him so down.

"So, I know you said Will and…Jem?" Magnus looked at him, confused, but nodded. "That Will and Jem were both from London. Did you know them when you lived here?" he asked.

Magnus smiled an amused, slightly bitter smile. He leaned up over the seat. "Take a left two streets from here, Andy," he said, sitting back in his seat.

Alec gave him a confused look, but Magnus said nothing. Andy took the turn where he was instructed to, and drove a few blocks to turn right, down yet another narrow street. As they drove on, the houses seemed to grow. No longer were they speeding by tiny, semi-detached townhouses. Passing them outside were large estates, with long drives and manicured lawns, and gates obscuring access unless a keycode was punched in. They kept getting larger and larger, and set further back from the road, until they reached a part of the district where the houses were uniformly set back from the road behind one long iron fence, at least 20 feet high. They were massive, certainly rivaling Alec's parents' mansion in Manhattan. And these weren't rectangular and flat like the Lightwood home; they were sprawling out in all directions across the gentle hills of their grounds, with spires and rotundas that looked about a thousand years old and brand new, all at the same time. They were all breathtakingly beautiful. Each one had a Union Jack waving from its portion of the fence by the street.

"Number 72, up here," Magnus instructed Andy. When they reached the appointed address, the car pulled to a stop and Magnus turned to Alec with a smirk. "You saw where _I_ grew up," he said. Alec nodded. Magnus jerked his head toward a house that was maybe a little smaller than those around it, but grand as all get out, nonetheless. It was set very far back, with a sprawling lawn which had grown over just a little more than the rest. There was a small plaque affixed to the pillar next to the gate leading up the drive, but Alec couldn't make out what it said. "This is where Jem grew up. I think it's safe to say we never really had occasion to meet."

Alec had never given it much thought, but right now he tried to picture Jem as a filthy rich young teenager, like he, Jace, and Isabelle had been. It was hard to do. There was a certain degree of entitlement that came from being raised with money, and clearly whoever had lived in this house had been as well off or better than the Lightwood children. Jem just didn't fit that description. He was one of the most humble and sincere people Alec had ever met, even if they hadn't talked for that long. He couldn't equate the idea of Jem with a rich, privileged son of London.

"This street is called King's Row. Not to be taken literally," Magnus explained, "but it does boast quite a few abodes inhabited by members of Parliament, particularly, the House of Lords. Jem's father had a seat."

"Wow," Alec whispered. Now he _really_ felt like he didn't know Jem. He wondered now if his family had abandoned him when they found out about his illness. He and Will weren't incredibly well off, though they held a semi-nice apartment in New York and had lived in a reportedly similar one in LA. Alec couldn't imagine why else Jem's parents would cut him off and make him work for his own money when they clearly had so much.

"How come Jem's not in touch with his parents still?" Alec asked. He watched as Magnus' face fell slightly, and regretted the question immediately. But it only served to make him more curious.

"Jem's parents and his four sisters were assassinated, in that house. No one knows how the killer got in, what his motivations were, or how Jem survived. At least, Jem won't tell anyone. I'm sure Will knows, though."

Alec knew his own face had gone pale. Did nothing happy ever happen in London? No wonder Magnus wanted to never come back.

"I remember reading about it in the papers. It was a huge deal. They thought the killer had kidnapped Jem at first, since his was the only body they didn't find in the house, and there was a note in Jem's handwriting saying that he'd left. But later, they caught the guy, and he was apparently quite perturbed, since he said he'd killed the son as well. When they went back and found that some of the blood was Jem's, they figured he somehow survived, but didn't know where to look for him. Turns out, Jem had just run away from the situation, but they never said how he could have survived, since the killer wouldn't say how he was sure Jem was dead when he left the house. Jem would have been about 14 or 15 at the time. He was probably just scared shitless and I don't blame him." Magnus' voice had gone cold, as if he himself was scared for the Jem of the past. Alec couldn't think of anything to say at all. Andy was equally silent, listening to the story. The three of them sat in silence in the car, staring at the house.

"For a long time, people would come and put roses on the sidewalk, or light candles or whatever. Even though they didn't really know the family, the story was tragic. People especially felt for the four girls, and as soon as it was discovered that the son was possibly alive somewhere, they talked about him, too. I had left for school by the time Jem made himself known again. I didn't really keep up with the story because honestly, I didn't know him or anything so why should I? Then, years later, who moves in above Camille but James Carstairs and his fucking git of a boyfriend. I remember looking at him and being just…assaulted with sadness. I hadn't seen him much before, when the family was all together, but you have to admit he's distinctive looking. It's hard not to recognize him, even if he's aged considerably. The whole thing was fucking tragic."

"Is that why he's so…" Alec tried to find a word that fit for what he was trying to say.

Magnus seemed to understand. "I guess so. An experience like that changes you. I would think he'd start appreciating the little things more after that. And subsequently after finding out about being positive. I actually don't know how that happened either. Jem doesn't seem like the type to sleep around, but then again, who knows what kind of mad phase he went through right after the whole ordeal? Not being himself was probably the least of his worries."

**Song for this section: High Flying Bird by Elton John (You'll see why it's significant. I highly suggest you give it a listen.)**

Alec let the whole story sink in a little longer as they made their way out of the neighborhood and resumed their trek back across London to the Southwest side. They took the scenic route, and Andy drove past a few landmarks that they hadn't seen yet such as the Strand and Trafalgar Square. Finally, they passed into the district known as Earl's Court, driving down a wide but not too congested thoroughfare. When Magnus gave the instruction to slow and stop, Alec looked out the window to where they'd paused.

The car had parked in front of a large archway made of stone and iron, with vines winding all around it. It was tarnished and looked centuries old, like most other things Alec had seen in London, but that's what he absolutely loved about it. He stared in awe for a moment, not looking away as he slid out the door and onto the sidewalk next to Magnus.

"This is beautiful, Magnus," he whispered as he stared up at the façade, slipping his hand into Magnus' and squeezing.

"I know," was his simple answer. Magnus pulled him forward suddenly, gently. They left Andy leaning up against the fender of the car, and made their way under the arch into the most beautiful and serene setting Alec had ever been in. It was one of those places that, as soon as you passed through the threshold, you felt compelled to be quiet and respectful. A calmness descended on him almost immediately, and he let out an involuntary sigh. He let Magnus tug him through the narrow alleys between the stones, quiet and reverent. Some were tall and grown over with moss in the damp London air, others were slightly newer and uncovered. Some of the monuments were enormous.

"There are a lot of manor Lords buried in here. Some knights, too," Magnus said quietly as he caught Alec staring at a particularly tall statue of a trumpeting angel, the hand not holding the instrument extended, palm down, over the resting place as though to offer serenity to the one sleeping below.

Alec remained silent as they made their way almost all the way to the far side of the expanse of burials and monuments. To be surrounded by so much honor and history was a little overwhelming.

"Truth be told, it took a considerable chunk out of my inheritance, but I was always a stubborn one," Magnus intoned as they approached the far right corner of the cemetery. He came to a stop in front of a small stone, about two feet high and relatively untouched by overgrowth. It had no dates, only a few words.

_**Marianna Clarice Vanderbilt Bane**_

_**My High Flying Bird**_

Below that was a small square of glass set into the stone. Inside the little window, on a hook, hung a silver locket with an M engraved on the front of it.

Alec's breath had stopped. That tender calm that had spread over him upon walking through the place had reached its peak, and he was almost afraid to breathe, lest he make too much noise in this quiet place. They were only minutes from bustling London, but here they seemed millions of miles away. He looked next to him, and saw Magnus had the biggest smile on his now tear-stained face. The streams of salty tears continued to run down his cheeks and off his jaw, but the smile stayed in place. Alec immediately snaked his arms around the top of his boyfriend's shoulders, resting his chin against the juncture where his shoulder met his neck. Magnus leaned his ear against Alec's temple and gave a tiny, amazed chuckle.

"You know, I always thought it would kill me to come here. That I'd feel some kind of crushing guilt or shame or something. Sure, I hadn't wanted to…to sing or anything after she died, because she wouldn't be there to listen. But I always knew she'd be disappointed in me for that, for being so weak that I couldn't keep doing the one thing I _knew_ made her happy. Now I just feel…" he trailed off and gave another gasp and small laugh, as if the fact that he wasn't beating himself up right now was ridiculous.

"It's because she's not disappointed," Alec whispered. "There is literally nothing about you that anyone should be disappointed in. Magnus, you're everything she ever wanted you to be. And this is how she's telling you." He had begun tracing one hand up and down Magnus' chest soothingly, entwining their fingers in the other. Magnus let more tears fall fluidly, and they landed on Alec's hands. He was suddenly hit with the memory of them a year ago, in Magnus' living room in Brooklyn, as Magnus played and sang for him the very first time. Alec had been sitting behind him on the bench, holding him just like this, as he shook and cried with every note. Then, they had made love; Alec had given himself to someone completely for the first time. It was the night that he knew he would never be able to let Magnus go.

"She's proud of you, Magnus. I know she is," he whispered. He rocked Magnus in his arms gently. Magnus let the hand that wasn't held by Alec drift out to rest on top of the stone. He was completely silent, his tears falling without interruption or sound. It was the first time that cloudy distance had left his eyes all day.

They stood there for nearly an hour, just looking. Occasionally, Magnus would whisper to himself, words that Alec couldn't make out or comprehend, so he didn't try to. He was sure he heard a few phrases in French, but he couldn't have known what those meant anyway. Magnus' hand never moved from the stone, never moved at all unless it was to caress it back and forth a couple of times, then stilled again. He let Magnus talk to his mother in peace, choosing to simply send up a prayer to her in thanks for raising the most incredible human being Alec had ever met. The warmth and calmness that had filled him when they approached never left.

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><p><strong>So, short but kind of packed full of info and emotions. I hope you enjoyed it, both seeing Magnus there for the first time since they buried her, and finding out a bit more about Jem's past. Don't worry, you won't be in the dark about him forever...he reveals a great chunk of it to Alec later. Also, valiantmongoose has bullied me into writing the entire Jem and Will backstory (kind of like their own GIB, per se). No telling how many chapters THAT will be, but the first chapter spoils Jem's story that he tells Alec, so it can't go up until that part of THIS story happens. (sorry!)<strong>

**Anyways, as always, your reviews keep me going. Newest GIB chap is almost finished, and will go up tomorrow, lord willing and the creek don't rise (yes I said that in my accent...don't judge). I'm making the 12 hr drive home again tomorrow (actually I'm starting out 5 hrs from now...) So it'll be quite late in the night when the chap does go up. **

**Please tell me what you thought! I love you all dearly :)**

**The cemetery Marianna is buried in is an actual place. It's called Brompton Cemetery, if you want to wikipedia it. I'll be making a pic post on the blog tomorrow sometime. :)**


	13. Tangled Up in Blue

**hey guys. Sorry I've been so absent lately. Personal problems, and working on lots of things! Here is the latest, and as promised, it's kind of basically one long lemon haha. But this is the last chapter of true happiness before things start to go sour, so you better enjoy it...**

**Beta'd by Carmen, because she's awesome and wasn't busy and puts up with my nonsense. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Song: Knockin' on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan (I strongly suggest the original, but if all you can find is the Guns 'N Roses version, that's okay I guess. Just a little loud for the moment.)<strong>

Today was their last lazy day before Magnus had to start doing shows around the UK. His first was at 12 Bar in town, but immediately after that he was off to Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester, and Glasgow. After that two weeks, he'd come back for another two or three shows in London before heading over to Dublin for three shows there. He'd be bouncing back and forth from small, intimate pubs and bars to huge arenas like the O2, and truth be told, it was exciting. Magnus liked the fact that he was getting to live the best of both worlds on this tour. Well, all three if he counted the fact that he might as well have been in LA as well, considering he hadn't had to leave Alec. However, this two weeks would be spent lonely while Alec hung out in London. Magnus had asked him to come along, expecting to get a little tour bus nookie, but no such luck; Alec was still taking in all things London, and Magnus couldn't stop him from enjoying himself just because he himself was obsessed with Alec's cock.

"Wow. You sure you can do all this? This is basically a show every other night, and sometimes every night. You gonna be okay?" Alec asked. They were lying in the mussed but comfy bed, looking at his itinerary.

"This is _nothing_ compared to this summer. There were a couple shows I just had to tell the crowd I was sorry it sounded like shit because I'd just screamed my heart out four days in a row and my voice was shot. They usually just laughed and screamed anyway, but I still felt bad. This should be better, though, since a lot of them are small. I won't need to project as much. It'll save me in the long run."

"That's good. So when do you have to leave?"

"Tomorrow at the ungodly hour of noon," Magnus said, laughing.

"And what do you plan on doing until then?" Alec asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh…I can think of a few things…" Magnus took the papers out of Alec's hands and let them flutter to the floor beside the bed, opting to lean over and place a slow, heated kiss against his boyfriend's lips. It was only 10 a.m. now, so technically they had an entire day to themselves to do with what they pleased. Neither of them were thinking of food or sleep at the moment. Magnus maneuvered over Alec, pushing his knees apart until they fell open and Magnus could settle between them. Their lips stayed connected, and almost immediately he felt the heel of Alec's foot start rubbing back and forth against the back of his naked thigh. They'd gone a couple of days without sex, since they were always a bit tired, and last night they'd simply undressed and held each other until they drifted off. But now, Magnus was ready to get back in full swing of fucking for hours like they had when they first got to London, and he only had 24 hours to do it in.

They kissed lazily for what seemed like hours, Magnus' tongue moving fluidly against Alec's, tracing over his teeth and the insides of his cheeks, tasting everything he could reach. Alec's mouth tasted like the frosting from the rolls Magnus had made yesterday, since they'd reheated them and had them this morning. But it was mixed with that flavor that was incredibly Alec-like, the one that Magnus could recall almost as vividly as the first time he'd tasted it, dancing in his living room in Brooklyn.

Alec's fingertips grazed up either side of Magnus' spine, barely touching, eliciting small tremors until they found their way in between his ribs, gripping a fraction tighter. There was no desperate pulling or grabbing, no grinding or biting. Just slow, lazy, loving lips and tongues, fingertips, and toes grazing over the backs of knees. Magnus could feel Alec's hard on straining against his own hip, his own erection slipping alongside of it at random intervals. It was just on the needy side of nice, just that little bit past the I-only-need-this-and-nothing-else feeling. They both wanted more, even though Magnus was sure they were both loathe to actually let go of each other long enough to grab lube or anything like that.

As they kissed, Magnus thought about all the different ways Alec held him. There was the kind of hold that was purely animalistic, wantonly gripping at his arms and pulling him into searing kisses. Hands frantically searching for purchase on skin tight clothes until they were ripped off and discarded. There was also the kind that was tentative, and a little apprehensive, which sometimes still happened when they were in public, particularly in a situation where Alec knew they were being photographed or filmed, like red carpets. Still, his arm would slip loosely around Magnus' waist, staying a little too light for Magnus' taste, but Alec would counter it by tightening his fist in whatever fabric rested at Magnus' hip, so he was satisfied. There was the hold Alec adopted when Magnus was driving things, when Magnus was the one wanting to strip and fuck wherever they happened to be at the time, and Alec went along with the urgency Magnus showed, taking his cues from him. Then, the kind where Alec would simply wrap his arms around Magnus' shoulders, firmly but not crushing. The one he used when Magnus was in danger of falling apart, and Alec held on as tightly as he dared, to keep him together. Alec knew he was already shattered, so holding him too tight would cause him to crumble in on himself, but not holding tight enough would let Magnus slip right through his fingers to the floor. Then, lastly, there was the one Alec used when he knew, somehow instinctively, that Magnus _wanted_ to fall apart, and just wanted Alec to watch over him while he did. That hold was firm, loving, but removed to a safe distance. Alec knew when not to pry, when not to speak words of encouragement; he knew when to just let Magnus melt into a puddle, because eventually everything would be okay. As long as Alec was there. That was the one he'd used in front of Magnus' mother's grave.

As they kissed a little deeper, he felt Alec's foot working its way up and down his leg, but eventually coming up to rest against his ass, pushing with his heel slightly. Magnus let himself be pulled closer, and their erections slid together more firmly this time. Alec let out a pleasurable sigh against the corner of Magnus' mouth, and Magnus drank it in. He could feel Alec's chest begin to heave a little deeper, but still keeping the pace of his breathing steady. Every time he breathed in, their chests pressed closer together, eventually sealing their skin against each other. Magnus' lips strayed from Alec's, and he clumsily trailed them down to rest against the crook of Alec's neck, where the heat was more potent, and Magnus could feel Alec's pulse beating along with his own.

He felt wetness against the taut tendon at the place where his shoulder met his neck, and Alec started sucking gently at the damp skin with his lips, swiping his tongue across it every now and then and making Magnus' fingertips tremble. Sometimes, they could simply strip and fuck like animals, coming in ten minutes flat, and it would be the most amazing thing. But times like these, where the buildup was just as sweet and lustful as the act, Magnus let himself be consumed by the love he felt for Alec. The love that had continuously developed over the past year, growing each day to something new and different and deeper. He knew logically that it would reach a peak, someday, but it seemed like that day was a million years away. He couldn't actually fathom a day coming where he wouldn't find some reason to worship Alec even more than he did now. He anticipated it with each new morning. He looked forward to Alec making his knees weak and his voice shake, his heart flutter and his stomach knot up pleasantly. It seemed like all those feelings were coursing through his body at once, right this very moment. There was not a single other person in the world but the two of them.

Finally, he couldn't bear being this far away from Alec anymore, even though they were sealed together at every possible point. Except one.

The air in the room was already humid, as they'd abandoned the itinerary about half an hour ago, so Magnus' hand slid a little on the marble of the bedside table and knocked the bottle of lube onto the bed. He still hadn't lifted his face from nuzzling against Alec's neck. He felt around blindly until he felt the tube between his fingers again, and flipped it open. Somehow, he managed to get a minimal amount on his middle two fingers without causing too big a mess. He felt rather than heard Alec emit a miniscule, breathy chuckle, but it turned to a higher pitched sigh as Magnus' fingers found his entrance and slid them smoothly across it. He circled a few times, spreading the slickness, before tentatively sliding one finger inside. Now, Alec's lips disconnected from his skin, his head falling back, and he let out a long breath. Both his heels were resting on Magnus' ass now, only loose enough to allow Magnus' hand to remain between them where he worked his finger in a slow circle.

Magnus listened, his pulse quickening, as Alec's breathing got even deeper, and little half-silent moans would work out of every exhale. He worked his second finger in without pulling too far out, and felt Alec's hips buck up slightly, sliding his cock against Magnus' forearm and causing another high, breathy moan. Magnus' weight was resting on his unoccupied hand, but it was so hard not to reach up and swipe the lone lock of midnight hair that rested against Alec's damp forehead. His blue eyes were hidden, his brows furrowed ever so slightly. Magnus wondered when he would meet a moment that he didn't think, _this is the most beautiful Alec has ever been_. He didn't think it would ever happen.

As he steadily worked his fingers, watching with rapt attention as the pleasure chased across Alec's face, he leaned back down to place his lips against the skin just above Alec's brows. He didn't kiss it, really; he just placed his lips there, parted, just to feel the heat coming off Alec's skin in a different place. Hands that had been still resting on his ribs now worked their way up into his hair, blunt nails scratching lightly at his scalp and causing more tremors to race through Magnus' body. One hand stayed in his hair, not tugging but simply holding, and the other slid down to cup his cheek as if he was the most precious thing Alec had ever encountered. He was still letting out breathy sighs against Magnus' face, and Magnus was feeling the muscles around his fingers beginning to give a little more.

"Magnus." It was just a whisper, but a pointed one. Alec's sweet breath slid across his cheek and beckoned him closer. He slowly removed his fingers, making his movements purposeful and measured. Magnus guided himself inside, moving as haltingly as his body would let him, trying to savor each and every inch of friction and warmth he gained by going forward.

When he was all the way inside, and his hips where pressed up against Alec once more, they both gave a soft moan, Magnus' getting muffled against Alec's forehead. Legs tightened around his hips a little more, and he felt Alec's hardness press against his stomach. He moved out and thrust back in, causing friction for both of them, and Alec's hips bucked up jerkily. Alec's hands were still in the same place, one in Magnus' hair and the other on his cheek, when he whispered again.

"I love you."

Just as Alec had a dozen different ways of holding Magnus, there were about a million ways that sentence could come out. Sometimes it was in passing, throwing it out as something that was a given. Something almost taken for granted, because it was so true and normal a thing. Other times, it was uttered through the silence following a particularly intense argument, the tone reminding both of them that they were still angry, but also that their anger didn't negate the truth of the sentiment. There were times when Alec said it as a reassurance, sometimes not even knowing what he was reassuring Magnus from. This usually happened in those times when he was holding Magnus together, preventing him from falling apart. But this time, it was an entity in and of itself. The sentence was almost a _tangible_ thing, hanging in the air between them before wrapping itself around their bodies and pulling them together. Magnus didn't need to answer. He simply moved his lips back to Alec's, catching his breath between them before swallowing it up and drinking as much of Alec in as he could.

He continued to thrust in and out slowly, disjointedly, as if his mind was too preoccupied with one body part at a time. Each thing was so intense—the kisses, Alec's fingertips against his skin, his muscular thighs on Magnus' hips, and the tight warmth around his cock—that it was hard to focus on more than one at a time. Sensations were flying at him from every angle, and he was drowning. Still, he wanted to be closer. Wanted to melt into Alec and never return to this world again.

He positioned both his hands at Alec's sides, sliding them underneath him and gripping as tight as he dared. As he started to pull up, Alec anticipated what he was doing and tightened his legs around him. Magnus used what strength he could spare to lift Alec up into a sitting position, settling him into his lap while Magnus himself bent his knees and sat back against his heels. Gravity sunk Alec down deeper, and he let out a long, low moan that danced across Magnus' lips and tingled to the point of shivers.

The weight of Alec's whole body was a little too much for Magnus to lift and thrust against with just his hips, but Alec helped but lifting himself as much as he wanted before sinking back down. Magnus' fingers splayed out, trying in vain to cover Alec's entire back, to protect him from—what, exactly? Anything that happened to be thrown at them? Whatever it was, Magnus wasn't about to let go. He pressed his palms into the now sweaty skin, pulling Alec in. Their lips remained touching, parted, but not kissing. Their breathing had picked up, and they were just panting into each other's mouths, tasting each other, too focused on other points of contact to bother with actual kissing.

Alec's body moved fluidly against him, aided by sweat-slicked skin and passion. There was no telling how much time had passed, but Magnus wasn't concerned. He tasted the salt of sweat on his upper lip, felt the fatigue in the muscles in his legs and back, the heavy weight of Alec connected to him. He thought for sure this must be what heaven is. The place where nothing else matters. Nothing but the two of them.

Their movements were slow by comparison, but Magnus could feel the heat coiling within him just as sure as if he'd been pounding Alec into the sheets. It was the culmination of everything he felt, inside and out, that had him finally pulling his entire body taut, his back arching, and letting out a gasping, broken version of Alec's name as he gave in to it all. He hadn't even noticed when Alec came, but he felt the warm wetness against his stomach and Alec pulled Magnus against his chest as they both panted deeply, not seeming to get enough air no matter how much they gulped down.

Magnus wasn't sure how long they stayed there, him kneeling and Alec in his lap, Alec's thumb grazing over his lips as he tried to slow his breathing and listened to Alec's heart hammering in his chest. Eventually, he woke up to find them lying on their sides, facing each other, and Alec's knuckles tracing back and forth across his jaw and blue eyes regarding him with silent admiration.

"I love you," Magnus whispered. Alec just smiled and closed his eyes. His hand eventually ceased its movement, but Magnus was long asleep by then.

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><p><strong>Song for this section: Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan (sensing a pattern in this chapter? Lol. It's a nice background)<strong>

When they woke again, it was dark outside, and the lights of the city were like pinpoints of starlight against the gauzy curtains of the bedroom, diffused into softness at the edges. Alec dislodged his arm from its prison beneath Magnus' shoulder, trying his best not to wake him, but as soon as he was free, wide green-yellow eyes popped open and a hand reached out to keep him in place.

"No," Magnus mumbled, slipping his eyes shut again.

It was so adorable and pouty and childlike that Alec couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him. It only made Magnus face scrunch even further into a scowl.

"We slept the day away, Magnus. You don't want to waste it all do you?" he implored the half-asleep boyfriend that was currently yanking his arm into his possession and burrowing under the covers.

"No we didn't. It's still, like, noon or something," Magnus whined frustratedly as Alec refused to succumb to his grip.

"Magnus," Alec replied, looking at the digital clock next to the bed, "it's seven at night."

"No it's not. It's too bright to be night."

"That's because we left every light in here on," Alec answered.

"Mmmph."

"Okay, fine. You stay in dreamland. I'm hungry," Alec said as he gave another tug, finally regaining possession of his own arm. He was still chuckling, though, as he left Magnus to tangle back up in the covers.

After locating a pair of boxer briefs that were undoubtedly Magnus'—but not really caring—he traipsed through the bedroom and out towards the kitchen. The rolls they'd been eating this morning were standing cold on the counter. He opened the refrigerator, finding nothing but a tin of strawberries and some milk. Sighing, he closed it again and wondered absently if they had an equivalent of New York Chinese take-out in London. So many other things were different—and the food mostly bland—so he doubted it.

"Why didn't you tell me it was past seven at night?" Magnus protested as he walked in, hair mussed and wearing nothing but a towel hanging precariously from his hips.

"I did, Magnus."

"No you didn't."

"You were still claiming it was daytime. What do we have to do tonight?" he asked, taking in the way Magnus simply scooped up a cold piece of sweet roll and made his way back into the bedroom, presumably to the shower.

"We're supposed to meet Jordan at eight," Magnus called before Alec heard the shower turn on, obscuring his voice.

Alec vaguely remembered that they had dinner plans, and was now a little angry with himself that he'd woken up. He wished they'd have slept through it and just given an excuse. He'd much rather still be in bed.

He walked back to the bedroom, grabbing Magnus' phone to text Jordan and tell him they'll most likely be late, since it usually took Magnus way longer than an hour to get ready for something as important as dinner. That's when he noticed the four missed calls and about eight text messages from Jordan himself. He clicked through the texts, and they were all mysteriously excited, but vague. Mostly "pick up your damn phone!" and "this is NOT the kind of news delivered via text!" He deliberated for a few seconds before he decided to just call Magnus' manager himself.

He clicked the last missed call, dialing the number and wandering into the bathroom, which was steamy and warm. Alec rested his ass against the edge of the counter, facing Magnus through the clear glass of the shower as the other line rang. When Jordan picked up, he pressed the speaker button.

"Hey, what's the deal? Why all the cryptic messages?" he asked.

"Oh hey, Alec! Is the man around? Are you both dressed and pretty for the biggest and best steaks you've ever had in your life? Because it's fucking celebration time!"

"Well, yes to the first, no to the second…" Alec replied.

"Are you at least _dressed_?" Jordan asked.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?"

Jordan just sighed. "Come on, guys! Stop fucking and get with the program!" he chirped excitedly, not a hint of malice in his voice. "There are more important things!"

"There is never anything more important than fucking," Magnus called calmly from the shower. Alec laughed and blushed, despite the fact that Jordan couldn't see them anyway.

"He's in the shower," Alec clarified.

"That explains the echo," Jordan said. "But really! Okay, you can listen naked if you like. Just…watch yourself. Don't slip and fall when I drop this bomb on you."

"All ears," Magnus called. He watched as Magnus bent over particularly seductively, and Alec had no doubt it was solely for his own benefit. He just licked his lips and kept watching Magnus and listening to Jordan.

"Okay. Ready? Okay. Two million, three hundred and eighty two," Jordan said dramatically.

"What the hell does that mean?" Alec asked

"He's talking about the amount of sperm I've deposited inside you since—"

"Magnus shut up!" Alec whined, cutting him off and blushing harder as Magnus cracked up, working shampoo into his hair.

"Are you two done now?" Jordan asked.

"Sure. What are you talking about?" Alec asked again.

"Two million, three hundred and eighty two," Jordan repeated, more slowly this time. "That," he paused dramatically, "Is how many copies of Blue have sold to date."

Alec went silent. He was barely aware his jaw was hanging loosely, and he was staring into the shower where Magnus had frozen with his hands in his hair. Alec watched as he slowly, deliberately, dropped his hands and turned away from the faucet to face Alec through the glass. His eyes were wide.

"P—p—pla—" he couldn't get the word out.

"Platinum," Jordan finished for him. "Motherfucking DOUBLE Platinum, Magnus!" he exclaimed.

There was another beat of silence before, "Mother FUCK!" Magnus was practically jumping up and down and Alec was a little afraid for him considering he could kill himself if he slipped in that huge shower. As it was, he was throwing shampoo and soap in droplets against the glass with his flailing, and Alec was still in shock. Sure, platinum, even multi-platinum albums happened a lot, but it wasn't something Magnus had actually hoped for. At least, he'd never voiced it. Music was just something Magnus did because he _had_ to. It was all inside him and he was compelled to let it out. The fact that so many other people enjoyed it as much as Alec did was mindboggling. Over two million people now had a piece of Magnus' soul with them forever.

"Is he still alive?" Jordan asked through the speaker.

"This is the most alive he's been since he woke up the second time," Alec said, unable to wipe the huge grin off his face. "Seriously, this is amazing, J."

"You're telling me. No offense, but tell him I'll owe him my life for the ten percent of _this_ that I'll get. He could fire me and I'd be fine. But…tell him please don't do that," he added.

"I highly doubt he'd fire you after this, J. At least, not in the mental state he's in now," he chuckled.

"He did this, Alec. Baring your soul is a tossup when it comes to the music business. No one wanted it from Ke$ha, but they ate it up from Adele. It's kind of a gamble. But he won. He's really remarkable, you know."

"Oh, trust me, I know. Now let me go make sure he doesn't accidentally maim himself. We'll see you around eight thirty, cool?" After Jordan's agreement, he set the phone down and stripped off his underwear, climbing into the shower with his flailing boyfriend. He was treated to a very soapy kiss as soon as the door closed.

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><p><strong>Aren't we all proud? I know I am :)<strong>

**As always, please please please tell me what you thought. A lot of work went into this one, so...yeah. Love you all!**

**Okay so...I promised an announcement. I was kind of weary to make this announcement, since I can't actually POST the surprise until a while from now (since it is SPOILERS for a chapter of this fic). However, I decided to let you in, considering one of the reasons this update is so late is because I was working on THAT. So here goes: I have been working diligently (because I can't resist backstory of all kinds and also because Sarah threatened me into it) on glamourverse Jem and Will's backstory. How they met, how they fell in love (and the time it took to get to that point), how Jem was infected with HIV, a little about their backgrounds, how they got to New York and then to LA, etc. It's probably not anything like anyone imagines, and there are pieces of it that are a little dark and startling. Okay, a LOT dark. But I'm hoping you'll enjoy it. But as I said, I won't be able to post any of it until a certain chapter of AFILAG is done (you'll know, trust me), since even the first chapter of the backstory spoils a lot of it. But look forward to knowing Will and Jem a little more! It's tentatively titled All That Glamours is Not Gold. (Remember, every story has a cliche title, but the title offers insight into the events of the story. If any of you would like to speculate :D )**


	14. What Might Have Been Victory

**Hello everyone! I'm back! I've missed you all so much that it kind of hurts. I'm sure I've lost some readers, but those of you who are still here- *hugs you until you can't breathe* I have a temporary computer now, and I've gotten my groove back so to speak, so start looking for regular updates in the glamourverse now :) **

**Beta'd by Grace. DOUBLE SPACE, BITCH. The only way to be. **

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><p><strong>Chapter song: This Will Be Our Year by Nerina Pallot (more a mood for what's going on inside Magnus' head during this conversation)<strong>

Magnus relaxed into his table on the left far wall of 12 Bar, having finished his set and the signing of a couple of autographs about 20 minutes ago. He was nursing a beer and enjoying a little moment of solitude. Frankie had shown up as promised, and it felt good to see him in the audience. It felt like the old days, when Magnus was still giving scholarship concerts and performing at galas for school. It still hurt that Josh wasn't there, but Magnus didn't let it bother him too much. After all, it wasn't like he was twelve and bitter about it, and it had been years since their falling out so he figured they were both used to not being in each other's lives anymore. Frankie had made it a point to cheer the loudest after every song—it made Magnus blush a little—but he enjoyed it a lot more than he was actually going to tell Frankie, lest it go to his head.

Since Frankie had left shortly after the set, and Alec was lounging at the hotel across town, Magnus was left to enjoy his beer alone. It didn't bother him much, though. If he imagined really hard, it almost felt like the nights at Molly's right before he left for Florida—except for the ruckus over a football game that someone had streaming on their phone. He let out a chuckle at his internal monologue; it seemed as soon as he stepped back into England, his accent and dialect had slipped back into its original patterns. It comforted him some to know that it wasn't lost. Sure, he had wanted so desperately to leave London and everything in it behind after his mother's death, but it was nice to know that that piece of him hadn't died with her. He had enjoyed being back in London so far, since he'd only really experienced the old pieces of him that he actually missed.

That is, until he was reminded of the largest stain of the past and how close it remained in this place.

He watched with controlled disdain as a tall, lean but muscular figure approached, his suit tailored expertly to hug the curve of his shoulders and the jut of his hips. His step was measured but sure, as it had always been. His expression was open, but held that quality that suggested arrogance. He _was_ arrogant, but it was uncanny how he could mask it just enough to come off as seemingly humble. It was a way to draw others in, and it had worked on Magnus at one point, but now it just made him sick.

Magnus kept his posture cool as Daniel smiled blindingly at him. He hadn't forgotten their encounter at Dorian's a couple of weeks ago, but it seemed Daniel was going to act like all was forgiven.

"That was quite a show," Daniel said as he slid into the chair across from Magnus, setting his own beer daintily on the table. A prelude to the way he worked: start out sweet, and then flip the switch. That was the thing about Daniel: Magnus was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Thank you," Magnus intoned cordially, keeping his expression guarded. "Didn't think you'd be around for it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied, looking as if that would be some grievous misstep of manners.

"Why not?" Magnus quipped, and he felt the familiar tightening of fear in his gut at his boldness. It always happened when they were dating and Magnus had felt like pushing his boundaries with snark and sarcasm just to get a rise out of Daniel. It never ended well for him, but he'd been young and dumb enough to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. The result of talking back and getting a rise out of Daniel was _always_ the same: pain. Whether it was physical, verbal, or emotional, Daniel always dealt punishment for Magnus' misdeeds.

Now, however, Magnus fought down that ingrained reaction. He hated how his body responded to Daniel on its own even after so many years of being out of that rut.

A small smile crossed Daniel's face, creeping over his features like a deadly, slow-moving wave of lava that destroyed everything in its path by gradually burning it into submission. That smile was just as deadly.

"Because I've missed you, Kitten," he crooned. Just like that, Magnus' walls inside started to shake with the earthquake of the sentiment. He absolutely hated that he couldn't discern whether he was mildly trembling from anger or need or nostalgia, but he did know one thing: if Daniel suspected a reaction—which was _exactly_ what he'd been going for, Magnus realized—he would latch on and never let go. Daniel was a master at finding weaknesses and capitalizing on them.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Magnus said back, infinitely impressed with himself at his cool tone. "It didn't seem like you missed me at all the day I left. But then again, having a couple of pretty playtoys to help you _not_ miss me might've been to blame." He tried his best to stop there, since he knew too much bitterness would only give Daniel what he wanted, to know that the wound was still open. Which it wasn't. It _wasn't_.

"Aww, don't be like that, sugar," Daniel replied. "You know they meant nothing. You're the prettiest playtoy of them all." There was a familiar glint in his eye that tinged the compliment with the malice of the word _playtoy_. Like Magnus had been his property. It stung a little when Magnus remembered that, in an intangible way, he had been.

He took a moment to collect his emotions and put them in check. This was nothing but a ten year old having his toy taken away and being greedy enough to want it back after someone else had made it desirable again. Magnus told himself there was nothing in the way Daniel's eyes were roving over him hungrily, nothing in the soothing note of his voice that was making Magnus' feelings go in twenty different directions including fear, want, anger, desire, and ultimately—that thing that had gotten him so deep into the Daniel mess in the first place—submission.

He noted that he was averting his eyes in deference, just like he used to, so he snapped them back up defiantly. Magnus could almost see the millisecond of surprise that flitted across Daniel's fine features, and he allowed himself an inner victory pat on the back.

"Look. Can we simply start over? I would very much like to put our lesser transgressions behind us, hm? We're both men now, and can talk civilly as such," Daniel intoned. Magnus caught the emphasis on _both_ a little too late. It made another flare of indignant tension shoot through his chest. However, he wasn't going to egg Daniel on, so he decided to take the out, and restart the conversation on his own terms for once.

"Sure. How've you been?" he asked after a suitable pause.

"Splendid, I must say. This war the Americans have got going on does wonders for my petrol stocks. Who'd have thought?" Daniel quipped with a chuckle. Magnus counted to ten silently in his head. He could do this. He _could do this._

"That's nice. I don't really keep up with all that crap. Then again, I've never really cared for it anyway, so it doesn't bother me."

"Mm, yes," the older man tutted. "Must be quite nice not to have to work for your fortunes, yes?"

Magnus' anger flared up again. What did he mean? Magnus certainly loved what he did, singing and writing and performing, but that didn't mean he didn't run himself ragged doing it. He'd probably logged more hours in the studio or on a piano bench in the past month than Daniel ever had at the firm, and now Daniel was saying he didn't _work_ for his money? But then again… Magnus thought for a moment, and discovered he was probably referring to his inheritance, which was no small amount of news when it happened, considering Cherry Bomb—which was an outlandish success considering the fact that he wasn't an established developer and the new club scene in New York was always risky—was a product of that inheritance. Sure, he'd lived off it for a couple of months, but after that the revenue from the club paid for itself, and he had worked hard to get it off the ground. Fuck Daniel if he thought Magnus was just sitting pretty and getting by.

Then another wave of realization hit him. That was exactly what he'd done when they were together: Magnus had been wined, dined, and dressed to the nines on Daniel's dime. And Daniel, for all intents and purposes, had been his sugar daddy. The punch of disgust in his gut at his own younger self was sickening.

"I'll have you know I work just as hard as any other person. I'm not one to sit around and wait for things to come to _me_." He shouldn't have sounded that petulant, but he couldn't help it.

"Indeed," was all Daniel said. It was at that point that Magnus noticed just how much he _hadn't_ been noticing during their whole exchange. How Daniel was not sitting directly across from him, but had pulled his chair so that they were nearly side by side. He'd also been sipping his beer with one hand, but the other was nowhere to be seen atop the table. Magnus noticed with a jolt that, perhaps the entire time, Daniel's fingers had been tracing back and forth on top of Magnus' knee underneath the table. The gesture had been a habit at dinner parties and such that Daniel used to take him to. Back then, it helped to ground Magnus in situations where he felt overwhelmingly middle-class. It was also a way for Daniel to keep possession of him in the presence of other people. If Daniel _had_ a weakness, it was the need to mark his territory at every turn. And then, the last thing Magnus noticed, as he focused more on those fingers, was that Daniel wasn't simply running them back and forth haphazardly. His fingertips where lightly signing his name, over and over, into the skin of Magnus' knee through the material of his pants.

He suddenly realized the double meaning of the gesture. Daniel was, yet again, marking him as his own—even in such an intangible way. The sudden revulsion that slammed into his gut almost knocked him over.

"Stop," he hissed with all the authority he could muster in Daniel's presence. "Just…fucking stop."

The fact that Daniel didn't even feign to misunderstand what he meant—smiling wickedly as he lifted his hand back on top of the table, looking like he'd won some sort of prize—was reason enough to blow him off. Without even saying anything further, Magnus got up, walked out as calmly as he could, and made his way over to where Andy was waiting with the car. He wasn't due on the road to Manchester for another couple of hours, but he _had_ to get out of there. He felt sick to his stomach with the realization that he'd let Daniel in that much without even realizing it. Was he that weak? Did that confusion his body and emotions succumbed to in the past still exist? He'd thought he'd gotten over it. Apparently, he had bigger problems than he assumed.

* * *

><p><strong>Song for this section:<strong> **Do You Wanna by The Kooks (just a nice, random, upbeatish background. And also British in origin, as promised *wink*)**

His phone rang at around 10 am the morning after Magnus had left for his first show out of London. Alec sat up groggily, feeling like it was still midnight, despite the sunlight streaming in through the curtains he had inadvertently left open the night before, after staring lonely out across the skyline of London for what felt like years. He'd gone to bed sometime during his gazing, but he couldn't remember when. And now, since he was ingrained with an instinct to answer his phone at all hours—a habit he'd developed over the summer when Magnus was in a million different time zones—he blindly felt for it on the bedside table.

"Hello?" he rasped, then tried to clear his throat. "Magnus?"

"Wrong Brit, Buzz. And what the hell are you doing still asleep? Is it that you've got so much fucking to do at night that you have to clock your snoozing in during the sunny hours?"

Well _that_ certainly wasn't the voice he was expecting. He winced as he opened his eyes, checking the clock and discovering that yes, he had slept in longer than he'd meant to. The last thing on his mind, however, was getting jolted out of bed by a call from David Beckham.

Alec fought through his blush when he realized what his teammate had just said, and tried to recover. "Sorry. I overslept. What can I do for you?"

"What? I can't facilitate camaraderie with my own co-workers? What's the bloody world coming to?"

Suddenly it dawned on Alec. "You're in town?" he asked.

"Of course. Any chance I get, really. So how's about a beer?"

"Uh…sure. Right. I'll uh…I'll meet you out front, I guess. You know where I'm staying?"

"Sure. The only place in town that's swanky enough for _your _partner. I'll be there in five."

As promised, Alec was hopping into the passenger seat of a BMW five minutes later, having simply thrown on a t-shirt, jeans, and brown leather boots. His hair was a mess, but he didn't think David would mind.

"So, how's London for you so far?" his teammate asked.

"Uh, it's uh…great. I mean, I haven't seen _much _of it—"

"Oh spare me why's and wherefores, Buzz. I don't need to know how much you've been fucking instead of sightseeing in the best city in the world," David teased without looking at him as he swung into traffic. Alec's face was now the color of a ripe tomato.

"We haven't been…I mean, we've been out plenty, it's just…" he stuttered. David gave him a knowing smile just then, and Alec felt every bit those ten years between them in age. "Besides, Magnus is gone. His only show in London was last night."

"I know. It was rather impressive, as well, I must say," David mused.

"You went?" Alec asked, a little surprised. "Didn't think that was your scene."

"What, good tunes? He's talented, I'll give him that. Even if I sometimes have to squint when I look at him. He needs to decide whether he wants to be dark or glow in the dark with that makeup he wears." It was teasing, and delivered without any malice. Still, Alec was curious, since he didn't figure this particular colleague of his to be interested in the type of music Magnus played and sang. He was pulled back out of his musing when David spoke again. "That, last night, is actually what I wanted to speak to you about."

Now Alec was extremely curious. "Pardon?"

But David didn't speak further. Alec took that to mean they'd talk when they got to whatever destination they were heading for.

They arrived at a small pub about ten minutes later which was, thankfully, almost empty. It was only 11 am after all, but Alec had noticed since he'd been in London that the locals were perpetually imbibing tea or beer no matter what time of day it was. They sat down at a table by a window and ordered beers and David ordered something Alec couldn't understand.

At his confused look, David clarified, "It's basically an Indian form of a pita. I'm starving. Did you want something?" Alec just shook his head.

"So, what exactly is it that you wanted to grill me on?" he asked, steeling himself. He still hadn't figured out why David, who hadn't really befriended him before, was now taking him out for beers in the middle of the day halfway across the world from where they usually were together. And the fact that it had something to do with Magnus was doubly confusing.

"Don't look so scared. I just want to get your opinion on something." Alec waited for him to go on. "Do you suppose…" He paused, seeming to gather the right phrasing in his mind before continuing, "Do you think that the general public is _aware_ enough that you and glittery canary are partners?" On seeing Alec's expression, he rephrased. "Boyfriends. Attached. What-have-you." Alec still wasn't used to British slang just yet.

"Um, I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Do you think it's obvious to others that you two are an item? Do you think it's clear? Do people know that you're…_out_?"

This threw Alec for a loop, completely. "Have you _seen_ my boyfriend?" Alec asked incredulously, looking his teammate dead in the eyes. "He's practically his own Pride parade. Trust me, he doesn't need any encouragement."

"I wasn't talking about him, you moron," David said with exaggerated patience. "I was talking about you."

"How have I not been 'out' enough? My tongue has been down his throat in a full double page spread of People Magazine!" he said, wincing at his volume and the fact that he said that so loud in the middle of a not-entirely-empty pub. "I think it's safe to assume people _know_ we're together," Alec protested. He wasn't sure where this was going, and he also was a bit weirded out at the sudden interest someone like David Beckham had taken in his relationship. Didn't he have his own celebrity family to tend to?

"All I'm saying is watch yourself, mate. You never know." David took a sip of his beer and set it down with purpose in his eyes.

"Okay. You're going to have to be more specific than that," Alec pressed. He was starting to get a little anxious, but he kept telling himself that it was nothing.

"Let's just say that it's my experience that closeness like I saw last night doesn't usually happen if the territory's been adequately marked. In fact, I find it doubly unsettling that someone else saw fit to mark said territory as if it was his own."

"You are making no fucking sense," Alec snapped. "Are you saying some fan got fresh with Magnus?"

"Sometimes I think you are too young for your age, and then you say things like get fresh and you make me feel like I'm the more juvenile one here. So, thank you for that," David laughed as he took another slow pull from his glass.

"If you have a point, please feel free to come to it," Alec ground out between his teeth. He was getting quite exasperated, and not all of it had to do with David. Rather, the implications of what David was saying were trying to sink in, but Alec's mind was doing all it could to keep them at bay.

"Fine. I'll be frank. Last night, there was a man putting some pretty thick moves on your partner. I just thought you should know. Since we're, you know, sort of mates. Well…not really."

"I'm sure it was just a fan. They get touchy-feely all the time," Alec said. He'd seen it at the concert he went to in LA. Girls and guys alike literally hung off of Magnus when they got the chance. It had taken Alec a bit to get over it, but he knew Magnus didn't think anything of it. He loved Alec, and that was all that mattered.

"If my wife let another man touch her like that, I'd be a little bit more bothered," David said, his voice taking on a deeper quality of seriousness.

Alec's anger flared up again. "Magnus is _not_ my wife," he snapped.

"I didn't say he was! Christ what is it with you gays? Everything's a homophobic jab with you. I'm only saying, if the person I loved let themselves be manhandled and manipulated like I saw last night, for a good ten minutes before he put an end to it, I might add, then I'd be pretty damn pissed."

"Magnus loves me," Alec said with conviction. "He wouldn't let anyone do anything that would jeopardize our relationship, if that's what you're getting at. And why do you care anyway?" Alec finally asked, satisfying his curiosity.

"As I said, if my wife was in that situation, I'd be balls to the wall, as you might say. I have a certain respect for monogamy that most men do not have. What I'm saying is, it bothered me enough to tell you about it. That should tell you how much it bothered me," David intoned, still serious.

Alec didn't say anything further. Honestly, he couldn't think of anything _to_ say. He could sit here and deny that Magnus would actively let someone feel him up in public all he wanted, but David wasn't budging. He also had a point: it must have taken a lot for David to feel the need to let Alec know about it. Still, Alec fought down the anxiety that was creeping up. Magnus loved him. He knew that with every fiber of his being. That was all he needed.

Right?

* * *

><p><strong>To be fair, I warned you that chapter 13 was the last *completely* happy chapter. There will be happiness in subsequent chapters, but there will always be the underlying doubt this chapter has introduced. We're beginning the second arc of the story now. The first is what I referred to in my head as "re-aquaintance", and this one is what I would call "the game". <strong>

**As always, please tell me what you thought! I truly love you all :)**


	15. Very Important PSAAuthor's Note

Hello everyone!

First of all, I'm sorry if I freaked you out by posting this, since FFn will probably alert you and you'll think I've updated all these stories, but bear with me. I _AM _updating All's Fair in Love and Glamour in a bit, but I wanted to come here and give you guys a little explanation as to where I've been and what's happening with my fics now.

If you haven't heard, FFn has been doing a major purge of stories with explicit content. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but…_all_ my stories are explicit LOL. Inner Animal was deleted a few weeks ago without notice. So, in light of that, I've decided to move my entire fic archive over to a livejournal account specifically for my fic. There are several advantages to this, for me and for you. For one, for me it's a ton easier to upload chapters on the platform on LJ. FFn is very convoluted and it's kind of always been a hassle. Also, links are supported on livejournal, so now in my chapter updates I can link you guys to videos and/or songs straight from the fic page, instead of you having to youtube songs yourself, if you want to listen to them. Lots of other things are cooler about livejournal than FFn, and I hope you'll join me in enjoying the ease of use it has to offer over FFn.

Currently, only the Glamour stories are up on livejournal, but I WILL be putting every single one of my stories there in the near future. It's taken me this long to get it up and running because, well, the Glamour stories are huge and it took a lot of time to upload them all. (I think I've clocked it in somewhere around 32 hours total, but I can't be entirely sure. This on top of school and everything else, I hope you can understand why it's taken me so long and I hope you can forgive me.)

For those of you who don't already follow it, it would be a good idea to follow _**theglamourverse . tumblr . com**_, as I always post links to updates there, as well as a whole slew of extra stuff like pictures and character facts/headcanons and fanart and stuff. And, as I will no longer be posting to FFn at all, that is where you will be able to find me and talk to me. Always feel free to drop me an ask if you're confused about something or just want to talk! I always get back fairly quickly, provided I have the free time. You can also ask the Glamour characters questions on there, and submit headcanons of your own. It's fun stuff! You don't have to follow, but if you don't have an LJ account where you can get alerts for my updates, that's the only place you'll be able to find them.

So, to reiterate, I will no longer be posting updates to FFn in the future. I will leave my account open, so that those who have alerts or favorites on me can see this message if they aren't around right this moment. I want to thank all of you for your continued love and support (and general flailing that I am soooo not worthy of) as I've made this transition. I hope you continue to follow my stories, and feel free to talk to me! I don't bite! I've loved talking to those of you who've messaged me and asked me how I've been. It is beyond appreciated. Life gets in the way sometimes, and I'm glad most of you understand that.

So, here's to new beginnings! As I said, All's Fair in Love and Glamour Ch15 will be up as soon as Grace does her beta magic. _**I will provide the link to the new livejournal (where you will be able to find ALL my fics) on theglamourverse tumblr. There will also eventually be a link on the sidebar of that tumblr where you can find posts for my non-glamourverse fics (like Tutor!Alec and other one-shot-ish type things) when/if they update. On the livejournal, there will be tags for those. :)**_

Much true love for all of you,

Brooke


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